^",.1^ 


^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


-^Z 


^ 


^J^  <^\^ 


1.0   i^ui  m 

^^g    itt  lU   i2.2 

|j25|L^||A 


Hiotographic 

^Sdenoes 

Corporalion 


4^'^' 


«3  WS\  MAIN  r  TRHT 

wd^fEx,  r  v.  i4sao 

(71«)Sn-4S0J 


v\ 


CIHM/ICMH 


Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Instituta  for  historical  Microraproductlona  /  Inttitut  Canadian  da  ntlcroraproductlons  historlquat 


C^ 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notat/Notat  tachniquaa  at  bibiiographiquaa 


T 
t( 


Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  baiow. 


D 
D 
D 
D 

n 

D 
D 
D 
D 

D 


Colourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 

Covara  damagad/ 
Couvartura  andommagia 

Covara  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raataurAa  at/ou  paliiculAa 

Covar  titia  miaaing/ 

La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 

Colourad  mapa/ 

Cartaa  gtegraphiquaa  an  coulaur 

Colourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coukiur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

Colourad  plataa  and/or  illuatrationa/ 
Planchaa  at/ou  illuatrationa  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarlal/ 
RaliA  avac  d'autraa  documanta 

Tight  binding  may  cauaa  ahadowa  or  diatortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

La  r9  liura  aarrAa  paut  cauaar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
diatortion  la  long  da  la  marga  IntAriaura 

Blank  laavaa  addad  during  raatoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  poaaibia,  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  aa  paut  qua  cartainaa  pagaa  blanchaa  ajoutiaa 
lora  d'una  raatauration  apparaiaaant  dana  la  taxta, 
mais,  ioraqua  cala  4tait  poaaibia,  caa  pagaa  n'ont 
paa  «t4  filmiaa. 


L'Inatitut  a  microfilm^  la  maillaur  axamplaira 
qu'll  lui  a  4ti  poaaibia  da  aa  procurar.  Laa  dAtaila 
da  cat  axamplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atra  uniquaa  du 
point  da  vua  bibliographiqua,  qui  pauvant  modifiar 
una  imaga  raproduita,  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dana  la  mAthoda  normala  da  filmaga 
aont  indiqute  ci-daaaoua. 


D 
D 
D 
0 
D 
0 
D 
D 
D 
D 


Colourad  pagaa/ 
Pagaa  da  coulaur 

Pagaa  damagad/ 
Pagaa  andommagtea 

Pagaa  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Pagaa  raatauriaa  at/ou  pallicul4aa 

Pagaa  diacolourad,  atainad  or  foxad/ 
Pagaa  dAcoiorAaa,  tachattea  ou  piquAaa 

Pagaa  datachad/ 
Pagaa  dttachAaa 

Showthrough/ 
Tranaparanca 

Quality  of  print  variaa/ 
Qualit*  inigala  da  I'impraaaion 

Includaa  aupplamantary  matarial/ 
Comprand  du  matirial  auppMmantalra 

Only  adition  availabia/ 
Saula  MMon  diaponibia 

Pagaa  wholly  or  partially  obacurad  by  arrata 
alipa,  tiaauaa,  ate,  hava  baan  rafilmad  to 
anaura  tha  baat  poaaibia  imaga/ 
Laa  pagaa  totalamant  or-  partiallamant 
obacurciaa  par  un  fauillat  d'arrata,  una  palura, 
ate,  ont  MA  fiimiaa  i  nouvaau  da  fapon  i 
obtanir  la  maillaura  imaga  poaaibia. 


T 

P 
o 
fi 


O 

b< 
t> 
ai 
01 
fii 
ai 
01 


Tl 

•r 

Tl 
w 

M 
di 
ar 
b« 
ri| 
ra 


0 


Additional  commanta:/ 
Commantairaa  aupplAmantairaa: 


Imgular  pagiration:  (1]  •  112, 115  - 116, 113  •  114. 117  •  118  p. 


Thia  itam  la  filmad  at  tha  raductton  ratio  chackad  baiow/ 

Ca  documant  aat  film4  au  taux  da  rMuction  indiqu*  ci-daaaoua. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

2BX 

aox 

y 

. 

3 

12X 


1CX 


20X 


a«x 


32X 


Th«  copy  film«d  lwr«  Hm  b—n  r«produc«d  thanks 
to  th«  gmiarotitv  of: 


Library  Division 

Provincial  Archivtt  of  British  Columbia 


L'OKomploiro  film4  fut  roproduit  grico  A  la 
g4n*rotiti  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  ColiimlMa 


Tha  imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
posaibia  conaMaring  tha  condition  and  iagibiiity 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  tpacifications. 


Laa  imagaa  suivantaa  ont  AtA  raproduitaa  avac  ia 
plus  grand  toin.  compta  tanu  da  ia  condition  at 
da  ia  nattat*  da  i'axamplaira  film*,  at  mn 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
fiimaga. 


Original  capiat  in  printed  papar  covart  ara  fiimad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  iaat  paga  with  a  printad  or  iiiuatratad  impraa- 
•ion.  or  tha  bacli  covar  whan  appropriate.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  fiimad  baginning  on  tlia 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  iiiuatratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  iiiuatratad  impraaaion. 


Laa  axampiairaa  originauH  dont  ia  couvartura  w* 
papiar  aat  imprimAa  sont  filmAs  an  comman9ant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  1%  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darni4ra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'impraaaion  ou  d'illustration.  aoit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  aalon  la  caa.  Tous  los  autraa  aHamplairas 
originauK  sont  filmte  an  commandant  par  la 
pramiAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration  at  •n  tarminant  par 
la  darniira  paga  qui  comporta  una  taila 
amprainta. 


Tha  last  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  -^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"!, or  tha  symbol  V  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  applias. 


)Jn  das  symboias  suivanta  apparattra  sur  la 
darnlAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha.  solon  la 
cas:  la  symbola  — »>  signifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
symbols  V  signifia  "FIN". 


Maps,  platas.  charts,  ate.  may  ba  fiimad  at 
diffarant  reduction  ratios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  ere  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hend  corner,  left  to 
right  end  top  to  bottom,  es  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diegrems  iilustrete  the 
method: 


Les  certes.  pionches.  tebieeux.  etc..  peuvent  Atre 
fiimAs  i  des  taux  da  rMuction  diffirants. 
Lorsque  ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
roproduit  en  un  soul  ciich*.  il  est  film*  A  pertir 
do  I'angia  supArieur  geuche.  do  geuche  A  droite. 
et  do  haut  en  Ims.  en  prenent  Ie  nombre 
d'imeges  nAcessaire.  Les  diegrammas  suivants 
illustrant  ia  mAthoda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

«s?« 


JOURNEY 


FROM 


FORT  PRINCE  WALES, 
IN  HUDSON'S  BAY, 

To  THE 

NORTHEkN  OCEAN, 

i^O^   rif£  DISGOf^ERT  OF  COPPER  MINES 
AND  A  NORTH  H^EST-PASSAGE^  ' 

PtRFORMZD  BETWEEN  THt  rEAKS 
1769  AND  f77a,  / 

Bt  Mr.  SAMUEL   HEARNE. 


PHILADELPHIA; 


.f- 


■-»  ,    _v '  '--^  ■ 


f^lWmi  AM&  SOLDBYJOitiPraCjAMeSCRUKSBANK, 


•.;*^ 


.r»i 


N0.^>   BIOII«STEXBT. 


I  80a. 


li*?..--,  ■  ■•*. 


•  ^  \-k^ife'tjr.,\'v 


^\VJ 


■» 


i.  > 


^t 


^«*-  « 


t-v4 


•^f'NV-'-t 


aH^ 


•^MAitiMi,) 


**i»**1*«iSii,i;;i, 


:»toui44,j 


t9 


\ri  So 


JOURNEY 


!J 


FROM 


FOR r  PRINCE  WALE S, 


Tp   THE 


,<.    ;    ?:» 


lit         . 


NORTHERN  OCEAN,  &c. 


*liiiiMMMiii 


J 


M 


U    -H':'- 


'nPHE  Hudfon's  Bay  Company^  how* 
l^yjt    ever,  traduced  by  fome,  as  being 
jiiimical  to  difcovericss  within  thebounds 
oftheir  charter,  have^  on  moreoccaHoni 
thait  one,  fiiewnj  themielyes  .zealous 
in  ipramoting  whatever  might  tf nd  to 
the  honour  or  bei^^tr:^  their  ccmitrT'^ 
as  w«n  as  their  o!wsa  iifaiifvidjaal  liMp^ 
4tuma^  witl^  thi(:^t^%^iviii^ 
Ihep^  appc^edliAr.  Sa^el  llbtrii^^ 
•  officers^  itaprofefike^^^i^^ 
sack  Kttle  know%  esvcffirision^ 
the  iimtiyejs;  f  iBi^b  ibh^ 
JRi^ed  to  the  lettl^Qiqat^;  fai i&is^  k 
^c^lte  ^^asdtf  c£bdf  tbfii^ocf  edtailririi 
Mthudeyo  degf^orthi  to  oideaVi^rte 

2uSu87 


Ml"   •IP«II| 


'«  1"»P 


J^IIWI  «  nfwup  "r^'w 


^  w*!' 


4  Heirde'g  |iou^ney. 

trace  the  Far-ofF-Metal  River  to  ltd 

.    . ,  ,.. .. 

mouth,  to  explore  theTituation  of  the 
co(^per^  mines,  ^fwy^  9^  which  ,indif- 
tih£t  accounts  had  been  given  ;  and,  in 
fhort^  to  attend  to  any  localities  which 
might  beprodu£^iveof  an  extended  com- 

His  nrft  attempt  was  made  in  the 
clofe  of  the  year  ^^(Jg,  y^h^jt,  after  pro- 
ceeding about  two  tidnafed  miles,  his 
Indian  guides  deferted  him ;  and  it  was 
v(rich  ^eait  difficulty  Isfe  regiiH^A  Jhe 
feiHebienitist  f  ori  Prhitfe  Walies;^    aot 


teribt  xittt  againr  OQ!!tltt'  ayi  xsfBdbtdiAj 
ms^iti^'ZCC^^  northern 

«tnAt<tiird! :  j^hefii:;4iadiavi*^^     tiavpng 


01 


to  it^ 
of  the 

md,  in 
which 
dcom- 

in  the 


•.♦ ' 


li^arne's  Journey.  5 

jiboilit%# 'beiginniiig  df  July. »  In  their 
w*y  to  the  weftward  they  croflecl  fey0^ 
<)^er  rr^eri^'  fpmetitnesin  acanjbe»1Hlich 
they  cah'ied  With  theih,  and  fom^dfiies 
W  f6mnp  As  their  diftreffes  m'tiltipli. 
hOp  tW ftdi^i  z^n  began  tofliew 
diflltml^n;  but  byaii  unfprtilnate 
accidenf)^,  ofli'the  tith  of  Augtfft,  the 
ouajdtitit  wiisf  brbkfeV'it  a  time  ^en 
tn«7'  fiiincf 'thetolclv^  in  latitud^  63 
deg.  io  ti^ta,  nbrth,  Ibhgitude  rb'<)eg. 

46  iriitf.-  i*i^R  tff  Churchill  riven  M 
this  liifMV;  Hfearne  undei' '  m  Ml- 
grdjjibre'  ri^tpffityJibf  returtirig  agim  to 
the  M.  After  e^^iencii^glncpible 
dlMjais,  he  reitch^  the  fetttkit^  oh 
thb  2  p^fNoveter,  ittd  th^  <^ed 

ijpfe'afffi«ikiia  t#lp,;a^^ 
e^J^^iiencii  how  t&brpyMeiglPiin^pve^^ 

l^pi^ol^^  t)!f  tfif  1fefiory;^^]^^eu 
parations  Foj'a  third  iSfriedl^oni^il^g^ 
as  it  was  njore  intereuing,  as  'w^l|  9s 


$  Heariie 'S  Journey • 

f^ccef8ful,  we  ipeaA  to  df^tail^  at  fppie 

Ifs^vrng  eagaged  jua  Inma  ^f* 
iiaiq^^JVlatonabbeej  ;^jbis  guide,  yifhQ 
cievj^y '  scai  ftt^fiblj,  poiipted  put,-  the 
ca^ea  which  ^ad  cont^^t^  <¥fh<i^ 

^onm^Mv^^r  and  i^kt^^^^ 
he  wf^i^^ld  vifh  t9  rpcoipipeffii^  iftJtJ^f  j^itr 
ten|ipt„  ^r.  Heariie  (^^  ojit  f gij^,,wi^ 
a  paTty  wowgij:^  to  tlje J^yi^i^p' c^^ 
on  ^hf ,  7ih  oif  ^f;(Bmb|;r.  I'y^p  $  ^|ar 
fof  e.c^y5  they  found  t|i?  iM|jb|^  toter- 
al?k  Bi^fld  ip^  that  ieafnii  of  jiii^iyp^i. 

frl<5i^?,jMafcc^?4»;^s  they  jhooght, 
^oia?%  P?'P*»ff<?98- W  pee? %y; .  imple- 
ineni«a  iho|t  itiiw  l^Pff^  Pn  P5>^^ 
kg^^thf  place  of  thei4'^h  Hcm«?»W. 

cai?  Iphpuld  be  in  their  power,  efcape 
jtheirlips. 


.«»C<^<«M^ 


-«-'  L 


^^9«  ■  s  Journey.  ,7 

^  On  the  i8ifc|,  aa  tlijev  were  'contiliu- 
irigt]^eir  qofirib,  ih^y  f|jif/Eiovere4  fevcrM 
join^  of  4<eer  in  gorQi(l  preferv^^^ 
which  iacj  b^e^ir^^tly  killed  by  foi^a^ 
unknown  Indiaw^  On  this  they  teafte^ 
with<  mf^cli  fatisffi^jdn,  as  t^ey  hsii4  far- 
edy^ry  i^rd  £pT  fom^preq^ding  days. 
Ep|er^B|fip«H^  w©o4|oii^^^^^  26tb,  they 
had  the  gopflri^rtjp^e  tokill  four  deer  i 
mi^m  thcy4|(!#not  t^pd  apy  tW«g 
fyf  ^twree  daf » j  eiRCfrpt  f  pipe  of  tpbacr 
f^ffi^  ?  draiight  jDf  focjw  watf r^  their 
ibtlji^gtb,  loaded  ^a  they  wfre«  i^s^a  b^ 
ginping  to  fail,  and  t^py  Tcqueftp#|eav^ 
t9  j^alt  ji;  day,  to  rcfreih  thpinfelv^ps? 

Oqt  atutbor  %?t  be  never  fpent  fuch 
am^aocholy  Chriftmas  inhis  lifej  and 
when  he  tm^^4  oi^^d^Um^Mt 
were  then  expending  in  «vwjf  j|trt^o|f 
ChyiibBndom,  undet;  th?  prep^^illar 
tigue  a^  hunger,  he  could  Qc^tjiMi^^ 

cUiiie.  The  Indianjs^  however,  k^iQ 
good  f^^f^  a|id^flattered,|i|ni  thplbey 
wouj^  ibon  4ind  better  T6*d*;  and  deer 
and  game  in  greater  plenty. 


Hearne's  jotirne/ 


'  ^^  ■  -  ^uiliands'  return  from  the  ion. 


Heanie'b  Journey.  9 

Here  they  6>Qiid.tw6  men,  zh^i^bo^ 
iwkhty  wbmea  mtid  childreii  pjsidliaak 
thofttwo  w^nih^i  U'dAkef  jguhmo/f.^m^ 
munition^  tbs)i.b^d)iK>  other  imbm.  of 
fubfifting  tbemelves  An4  frienda,  but^ 
b^picfttdikg  iiihy  ^nd  fiaaring  1  itm  fiib- 
bits.^  Dhe  ianfnit'  unsre  plehtifbli^  and 
coniSled  of  l4aayke^'^bati)el^^ 
wifh  i  fome  fim  :fer>|ivtikh  we;  ihaYe  jiD 
EiiglUh  tiaine.  >  i  k^         » : 

f  1^6.i3eiM;te  tif  Ubild  Lake  ^hahn 
tltuda  ;6o  degi  45 /eqiih  /horlh,  kmgi^ 
tiodisi  loi  deg;*2$  imiui  wett  frbtn'ltiQS^ 
HoHk^i  lit  is  f  iof&mie  {dices  dbouk  tiliiitjil 
iii^ci  kmln  .Wfda,<andi»fo  M^  o£iHMidai 
thak  [thc|  wMei  y^r  f  ^ 
ofrmi^yli^^.jjv^iad^^  jjpiflf  is 

kris  f  fenoiMdti^^ 
IndianS]^  i6i|pv^Ci.i^^^ 

tiic«nt»^ii&  .^atpjoStbo  iflftoiilt  as#eU 


t    iMiia 


'VI 


s?u,. 


'  i\ 


l^q  Hearne's  Journey. 

fit(9rty  t&it  the  i6th)  when  (fae  Indians 
lallilfcliGi  fewer  ithahtweke  deen  This 
tupfi^  indd^isd  theui  to, halt  a  few  daysy 
ill  larder  to  dry  and  poun^  1^^  meal; 
to  render,  it  lighter  of  caitiage^         itM 

'  HaitrMg) ;  by  the  ^^td^  prepared  a  fufi 
fidenliilc^  of  portable  provifidns,  and 
r^ired  ithei^  fledge  md  Ihow  Jioes^ 
they  refumed  tbeii'/joaiifney.  In  theaff 
ternoon  0f  that  day^  they  fell  in  iwith 
aJknmgpf  who  l)id  one  of  Ma^o^^bee's 
wilirei^  i^i^erhia  carer  .This  war  thefirft 
pai^linTtfaey  had  leen^  in  travelling  i^me 
iMtftdired  milei,  who  ifiras  i^t  coimeAed 
ix^ihelr  own  par tj^  "i  a  4>roof  hii wuthin** 
V^ki^s^pMy^^  pebpted: 

1  lle|t  day^  th^fi^ 


^@^:it|br^drc 
ibi|i«^ibaii»lteittfN^  this 


w^' 


II 


Hearne^s  Journey. 

moiag  the  deer.  THi^  Hay  they  flw  feve^^ 
alflrangerS)  fonte  bf  wh^m  j(^ftd^h«lr 
pai'ty.  ■        '  -'  ■■''^m^'    ^i-  'i;u.:^p-a-  ;.- 

Oft  the  6th,  they  troffed  tfife  iiiain 
bratffch  pf  Cathawhachaga  River,  about 
three tjuartei^B^^a  mile  broad;  and  fpon 
after  arrived  kt  the  fide  of  Partridge 
Lake,  which  they  fcrofled  on  the  ice 
next  day,  whire  It  x^as  abdnt  fourteen 
miles  over.  The  intenfity  of  the  cold 
was  beyond  c^xpreffibn,  and  mny  of 
the  crew  were  Iroft  bitten«  One  of  the 
Matonabbee-s  wives  was  fo  frozen,  as 
to  be  almoft  incrufted  on  the  loweir  parts 
with  ice  V  and  as  flie  was  thawing  in 
great  pain«  her  e<r^tnpanion$  only  jeered 
her,  and  told  her  fhe  was  rightly  ferved 
for  belting^  her  clothes  fo'  high ;  a  cir* 
cumftance  which  they  afcribie^d  to  the 
vanity  of  (hewing  a  wcH-tur ned  leg, 

After  pafling  Partridge  Lakd,  they 
found  deer  fo  abundant  for  ntj|ny  days, 
that  the  Indians  killed  more  iMh  they 
could  eat  or  carry- with  them;  Aecuf- 
tomitid  themfetves  16  fubfiu  6n  fKtecari. 
OU8  filjpplietythey  have  no  idea  df  faving 
fot^  the  Deiiefit  of  others  J;  and  riot  on 


W¥ 


.  J 


»■. 


M'^ 


gsme  wb^i  they'faitlrfiA  wilK  il^  fogftrd^ 

queQces  af  the  devaftation  they  n^^s^* 

(^  they  crqfifei  %im  Swow- 

bird  Lake,  aiii^  founds  def^rMpl^ti^l 
as  h^ore^  fo  that ;  siiplsit  >i^iii#:  i^ 

f>^tided  in  killiiig  and  esiiiiig  ihf^ }  but 
as  Mr.  Heame  was  ^ui^  ifb^  jd[^( 
feafon  irould  by  na  Qiams  prf^^ttJiem 
to  proteed  in  a  dii^^  line  to  the  Q^ 
per^Miae  Eiver,  this  del»y  #^  of  Uttk 
cbnfcqu^ncc. 

In  croffing  Pike  Lake,  on  the  3d  of 
March,  they  cafti£^  up  to  ^  larg^  tent  of 
northern  Indians^  :who  had  bii^  IWipg 
there  from  the  bci^nning  of  ii^inteiv  and 
bad  employed  that  long .  interval  to 
catching  deer^  in  si  pound*  Indf  cfd  fo 
fuccefsmi  is  this  ^Dthpd  of  fportijiig,  in 
a  c^ymtry  inhere  th^  game  is  fo  ahi^nd- 
ani^  that  many  ^mihes  fubfift  by  it, 
without  haying  occafion  to  move  their 
tents  al^ve  once  or  twice  in  th6  courfe 
of  a  wjiole  winter. 
.  S**eh  jMi  ealy  m«le:4)f  pro^Mi^ 
lUlktice^n  the  winter  months,  ii  %  ca- 
j^ital  bleiling  to  the  aged  and  the  infirm } 


ai 


■•'<,■«'■ 


i  ih 


i  ^ 


H^arne's  Journey.  13 

but  is  ipt  to  render  the  young  and  a£tive 
indcfent  and  inert;  fofas  thofc  parts' 
of  the  couiitry,  where  deer  abound,  iare 
deftitilt^  of  every  animal  of  the  fur  kind, 
it  cannot  be^pp6fed  that  iuch  as  can 
live  with  fo  little  toil,  \^ll  give  them- 
felves  the  irotible  of  hunting  for  furs, 
whicfesire  requifite  to^rocure  them  am- 
munition and  other  Eiirop^n  commo* 
dities.  Suth  is  the  litfiguage^  our  ail- 
thpr  obferves,  of  the  mord  in^uftriou| 
among  the  indians  them(dveSf  but  ih 
hisopiitibri,  there  ^aiinot  exiftst  Wron- 
ger prbof,  that  mankind  were  not  crea- 
ted for  happinefs  in  this  world,-  than  the 
conduft  of  the  mif^Me  beings  who  in-' 
hsibit  this  wretched  part  of  h**.  None 
but  theaged,  theinfirm,  thfe  won^en,  and 
children,  and  a  few  who  are  regardlefs 
of  opinidn  (and  they  are  the  happy  few 
every  wher6 !)  will  fubmit  to  refoain  in 
the  parts  where  food  and  clodding  a^re  to 


foofiih  jpdpBit,  or  mt  \kUig  a  flave  to  thepaMone dr  6pin« 
ions  of  6mk^  teilvt  Mm  in  ^ifery  ^Bmate  of  hlii  lAi^th 
ri^ht.  I^^m  iMc  ijovmi  fbw  die  Infdicit7l>f  pim  i  not 
tbatimtujriliMbemflin^  or  God  unjlift. " 


-■y 


V 


14  Hearne's  Jourjiey. 

be, procured  on  Aich  eafy  terms  j  be- 
caiife  they  cannot  fliine  as  hunters,  or 
accumulate  liirs.  And  what  dp  the  more 
iuduftriou$  gain  by  all  their  trouble  ? 
•    Their  real  wants  are  e%fily  fupplied*  A 
hatchet,  an  ice  cbiiTel,  ajile,  anda  knife 
are  aU  that  h  required  to  enable  them 
>|o  procure  a  comfortable  liireHhood ; 
aiid  tbofe  :9irho  pirn  at  more,  are^ways 
tb^  moft  unhappy,  and  ha?f  the  moft 
^fiumerc^us  wa^nt^  to  iVipply.     ^ 
V  s^  Thoi^  Mfho^  ^ring  their  nirs  to  |he  j^c- 
tory,  indetd^  |>tide  themfelves  much  on 
the  refpeft  whiqhia^^        them  by  the 
Englifh ;  to  obtain  which,  tfafy  frequent- 
ly run  the!  rifk  of  being  ftaryed  in  their 
way  thither  or ^ct ;  andall  they  can 
"^offiW^  prc3(f  lire  for  their  year's  labour, 
feldom  amounts  ta  more  than  i^fiiffici- 
ent  to  yield  a  bare  fut^encc  till  the 
^  rteturn  of  the  le^n ;  Mrhtle  fiiich  as^  are 
defpifed  for  their  indolence  pi*  want  of 
Ipirit,  geiwrally  live  in  a  fti^e  of  pl^ty ; 
and  confequOTtIf  muft^^  b^  o^ 
and  moft  indepet^daiit  allii^    ^ 
fore  i$  at  once  the  gre^teft  ph||i^pher 
and  the  wifeft  man,^  who^  lives  for  hi  in- 


Hearne's  Joufney,  15 

ielf,  his  family,  and  friends ;  and  laughs^ 
at  the  inadnlfs  of  ambition,  and  the 
s' of  a  name. 


w 


Having  flopped  a  night  in  cottipany 
with  ttre  Indiana  whom  they  found  on 
th^  Pike  Lake,  they  began  croffiiig  the 
remaiirder  of  it  next  morning ;  but 
thotigh  the  weather  was  finie,  and  the 
whble  bitadth  not  more  than  twenty^^ 
feven  miles,  the  Indians  were  fo  full  dF 
play,  that  they  were  upwar4£^  of  twodayk 
before  they  reached  the  %eft  fide  of  it. 

On  the  8th  of  March^  they  lay  near 
a  place  called  Black  Bear  Hill,  where 
they  killedi  two  deer  ;  and  next  day  they 
had  fuch  fine  pleafant  weather,  as  gave 
them  the  prelude  of  fpring  though  little 
thaw  ^as  yet  vifible. 

On  tl^  %  9th,  they  few  the  track  of 
vet^^  ftVangers;  ana  on  the  fubfequejttf^ 
ly  came  up  to  five  tents  of  nortfiici^ 
Indians,  who  had  iftffided  tHiere  ^nitt 
plrt  of  ^  winter,  i^aring  deer. 

At  tlri^  place  a  ftci^  came  on  whiieh 
raged  "^h  lU<^h  viol«ii<^j|  that  t^ef  ^^(^ 
ndt  move  fbrlevipi|l%^ 
0#th(!f  tftdiansf  they  had^Mi  in  witfa^ 


1 6  Hearne*^  Journey. 

were  proceeding  to  Fort  Prince  Wales> 
IV^r^  Hearn^^n^braced  tte  opportunity 
oir  fending  a  letter  by  them  to  the  chief, 
I  1  to  acquaint  him  with  his  progrefs^  The 
I  I  .  latit^d^here  was  cakulat^to  b^#i  deg* 
30  if^in^.  north,  longitude  about  19  deg. 
50  min«  weft  of  Churchill  River. 

The  weather  becoming  fair  and  tem- 
perate on  the  a3dt  they  again  purfued 
c|^ir  way,  and  on  that  ai{il  the  fucceed- 
iag  days,  they  f^U  in  with  feveral  In- 
dians, fom$  of  whom  b^ng  acquaint- 
ances of  the  painty,  joined  compai^y. 

Continuing  to  rtiape  thei%courfe  to 
t|ie  we^- ward,  on  the  8th  of  April,,  they 
2irrive4  at  aiake  called  Little  Fi&  Hill, 
an^  pitched  thf  it  t<^i|ts  on  an  ifland  in  it. 
Here  the  Indians  fin#ig  deer  very  nu- 
ilifrous^  detertn^in^  to  ftay  foni^  time, 
^l|Md  to  lay  in  a  ftock  of  portable  provi- 
^^\  becaufe,  from  the  feafbn  of  the 
J^^^  they  were  aware,  that  their  game 
would  foon  quit  the  the  covert  of  the 
^qd«  for  thi  barren  groonds.  ^ 

At  fhis  time  the  ps^ty^d  iiit^confift 
of  ieis  tj|)ail|leventy  perlcms,  wild  wqje 
lo%^  in  f(|V||i  tents!  For  tc;A  days  the 


hui 


\nhy 

'be 
teg. 
leg. 


Heartiest  Jliifney.  f; 

hunting  went  on  brilkly ,  and  having 
procured  an  adequaie-fupply  of  dried 
{lores,  they  again  fei  off  on  the  i8th  of 
Apfil.»  After  travelKhg  about  ten  miles; 
they  came  to  a  tent  of  Indians,  near  the 
'Jhelewey -aza  River.  From  t hefc  peo- 
|>le  Matonabbee  purchafed  another  wife, 
tHoogh  he  had  fix  before ;  and  mbft'0f 
them  of  the  fi2e  of  grenadiers.  Indeed 
the  chief  pride  of  ^aft  Indian  is  to  have 
av  vifih  of  ftreiirgtb  rather  than  l)eauty  i 
{omn>  a  country  like  •  tbi6,  where  a  part- 
ner, able  to  endure  hard  Is^bour,  is  th^ 
chief  motive  fcii?  the  union,  and  the  at- 
tachment of  Tex  a  fecondary  objeft,  this 
preference  of  choice  is  not  :o  be  wonder- 
ed at.    .  ;      v  :^'  '-'  :      •;     ■-'■^' 

In  general,  the  women  here  are  far 
from  being  >olyfe£l8  of  *ttraftion^ 


thtrfeure  afew,  when  young,  that^te 
|6^i  quit«  deftitiite  of  ptefrfoftai  charing 
Mifd  labour,  however^  hard  fare;/ axifcd 
a  rigc>toiifii  climate,  ibon  rendet^^h(|li^ 
wriimi|%  and  th^  have^  aU  thfe  ^ri^iiril 
of  decripitiite  beroce  they  afentliirty. 


1 8  Heanii^l  Journey. 

But  this  does  ucft  render  tbem  lefs  d^r 
^nd-Valuabld  to  tl^i  owners,  j>ravided 
their  ftrenigth  riemtins ;  aad  a  woman 
Viho  can  carry  eight  or  ten  (tone  weight 
in  fumnier,,  or  drag  a  much  greater 
weight  in  winter,  is  fute  of  ahufband, 
whatever  her  perfon  niay  be.  A$  for 
good  teo^per  aiiid  ft^ental  i  accompliih-^ 
tnei^ts,  of  Jo  much  conlequenceinpolifh* 
cd  fociety^  and  witbout  which  the  con- 
jugal union  muft  be  a  ftate  of  mifery,  it 
is  nere  of  little  valne.  The  men  have  a 
wonderful  facility  in  rtiaking  the  moft 
ftubborn/comply ,  w  itjh  as  much  prompti- 
tude as  the  moft  willing  ;:  the  command 
is  given,  and  it  muft  be;  obeyed. 

Women  indeed  are  kept  at  a  very 
great  diftance.1  They  perform  the  mod 
laborious  offiqesi;;  atid  yiftt  the  meaneft 
iliprle  in  the  faflciily  mvM  be  fatisfied  be- 
fojj^jwife  or  daugfeter  k  periintted  to  tafte 
j^*^it  i  ahd  in idirtjes  of  fcarcity^  they 
Irequcntly  go  without^  fingld  inorfti 
J^di^ld  they  attempt  to  fervethemfelves 
in  i^  it  njiulfc  \^d(M€  wi^-  great 
caution,  ^s  a  ide^teOdon  -Would  fiaribjeft 
them  to  a  bfeating  atlcaft.    Indeed,  an 


Hfurnei*  Journey.  19 

embezzlement  6fpr9Vifioi^ipK>uld  be  a 
Uo%M  their  |!hafaa»r  wblcfe  ijt,  :w<»uld 
be  (iiffieultiQ^afer.  •     , 

As  tbe  viciniiy  qF  THeIe:wi|^iaj?a 
River  a^rd^  pleaty  of  go(||-  bi^^K 
they  hal^i^lieFfi' feveral  day?  tjj  (^ 
plete:  tlM^  1»»oo(|i  wprk  for  the  cjyiu^m, 
andfjother  neCeffary  purpofes.r  C^%|tH« 
aofh,  a  brothi^  i)f  the  tadHih,'guidQ,  and 
foine .  others  t^ere  feot  forward  vtp  |j 
finali  lake,  naiped  Clpwey,  to  bufld  ji 
can<H&  with  #i  expedition. 

The  Qhi|drei^  ire  M^ay^  n*H>?d  JOf 
the  parents^  or  ifome  pf  thdr  fteaareftir^ 
ktipiMt  iBj^s  have  varioiw  appelJjktio|>$, 
gjppi^r|Jly  derived  from  pUqe,  fo^ 

awmal  f  bf^  tie  namer#i^^^^l^^^ 
chiei^  tals^  mmJfxm  part  pi;  0qiJ# 

'    ir^' ■" 


i;*: 


'"A  .■•  .  ♦ 


^J^i 


':■  -H  '■ 


^f" 


ed  |t^;^'i^:heai|orth^'|!J3^ 
w«;i»';'ten:' '  :^i$?j^-m&^^0s£^ 

Is^five  mile?  Igi4^  M^:M 


-•fe 


/«y?*. 


*<»?■»- 


^' 


K-iuii; 


iv  thfcJtj3^iSl*'Biii*^ 


P} 


i 

'it 


..K 


i 


20  il»arnc'i  Jtmtnty. 

©n  theJr^trivilitt  Ct©        (i  lakft^^ 
boti*  fwdv^niifes  ov*r>*fee  3d  of  M^ 
thcj|lQ  cap*Mh*$  brother  artd 

afeaa*^1iad  diftflfntfcd  tbem  three 
dijii^  Jflere  they  Were  j^fted  by  fever- 
^1  il^bs  from  drflferent  itjuarcer8,  all 
\^{ifef^  intent  of  buildibg  their  canoes 

It  \<^a»^  )^^ 
lon^iig  to  Mr.  H^  party  w^e 
readyi  'fthiefe  velfels  ariglSeceffarily  very 
Hight  and  fimple  ia  their  coii|truaidn, 
2^h  (biWctimea  requifiie%>  ciirry  them 
;tfidi|  thiSapi  one  hundred  imiles.  Tbeii; 
chieliife^fc^to  croft  lakes  ai>d  uh&rd- 
^bl^ti^ef  8 J  ^et  ilhe  i^  }  ibr 

in;  ^^iister^  both  laiiciiiit  wifttr  aV  one 
foi^  %aft.  /^Jbe  fe^Maft 


o 


0^  WiSm 


fc 


a^^wl  5  ^yet  the  w<w 
"  .  by  ^^^ 


»o 


i^^  ■  •  jJ,  '■ 


'•i   ■'   '    '^' 


,. ...  i»r 


4 


m 


a^^t^'j- 


Hearne's  Journey.v 


21 


•4- 


wideft  part,  as  there  the  baggage  is  gen- 
erally laid,  and  occafion^lly  a  ificond 
perfon  ftretched  out  at  his  full  length. 
The  dimentions  are  about  twelve,  feet 
lang,  by  two  in  the  wideft.part*  Th^ 
bottom  is  quite  flat.  The  fii^gle  paddle 
i$  generally  ufed  in  (leering. 

Mr.  Hearne  diftributed  a  little  tobac-' 
CO  among  the  Indians  they  fell  in  with 
at  Clowey ;  and  indeed,  a  pipe  or  tw9, 
and  fometimes  a  prefenf:  of  a  few  inches 
of  roll  tobacco,  were  alwatys  expeded 
by  every  (tr^nger  of  any  cqnfequeti^e. 
This  Conftant  demand,  added  to^  the 
confumptioQ  of  his  own  party,  dimin- 
i(hed  his  ilores  more  thsm  one  half,  be- 
fore he  had  proceeded  thus  far.  Gun- 
powdet  and  (hot  are  Ukewife  articles  of 
higl^  eftimatjon  among  the  Indians ;  and 
Maton^bbee,  froni  his  owp  fupplie^, 
liberally  gratified  his  countrymen  with 
them. 

Leaving  Clowey,  they  proceeded 
northward.  Sbon  after  fell  in  with  fomc 
ftrangers,  who  informed  tbemtthat  Cap- 
tain KeeKhies  was  within  a  day^s  walk 
tt  the  ibuthward.    By  thiis  cliid^  our 


22  Hearne'^  Jolirney. 

author  had  dtfpatched  a  lettef  to  the 
Fort  tri  hir  lad  attempt^  juft  before  the 
quadi^ihfit  was  %iroke  ;  and  they  had  not 
ifiaHiilrtite.  ^Two  young  men  were  there- 
^^d  cotnridiiiioned  to  proceed  to  Keel- 
*  meditation,  to  receive  the  letters  atid 
good^  that  had  been  inftrufted  to  }ata 
on  tir.  Hii^rne's  account.  Thefe^  re- 
turned on  the  aadf  and  reported  that 
Captain  Keelfhies  intetided  to  join  them 
in  a  few^ays,  and  deliver  tt>e  things 
with  hi«  own  hand. 

The  eVietiiiig  of  the  24th  of  May,  the 
weather  wa*  exceffiveiy  bad^  accompa- 
nied v^th  violent  thunder  and  lightning. 
Nekt^tnorning,  however,  thfe  wind  veer- 
ing about  ^  it  became  intenfely  cold  and 
frofty,  which  miit^  impeded  their  pro- 
grtfei^^^^^ (p^  ccHlntry  over  w hich  they 
lil^eiNe^,  Po^9  %as  quite  barren,  and 
if^tedt^  ftumps  of  tr^es^^ 

0n  the  27th,  refuming  their  journey^ 
they^^aped  J^^  twelve  miles  to  the 
ii^hiiNt^,  on  the  ice  of  a  finals  river 
ti«i|  fe#i«to  PefteW  Lake.  Se^ijg  a 
iVti^e%9l^^ 
to  sin  ^1^  in  that  lake,  and  theti  pitci 


ed 

in] 


i^;** " 


<> 


H^fkrneS  Journey.  23 

ed  their  tents  with  an  intention  of  wait- 
ing the  approach  of  Captaiii  j^eelihies. 
In  the  night,  one  of  Matpnatxbee^s 
wives  and  another  women  e|oped ;  and 
it  was  liippofed  they  liad  goi^e  to  r^i}i 
their  formerrhuibands,  frorn  w^qm  they 
had  feme, time  before^  been  taHen  by 
force.  The  chief  was  almoil  iticonfoK 
able  for  the  lofs  of  his  wi£^  j^oiigh  he 
h^ad  ftill  fix  remaining.  Indeed  ^  Teems 
ihe  was  by  far  the  handfomefl:  of  his 
flock,  and  pofTefied  every  valuable  and 
engaging  quality  to  be  fo^nd  in^  an  In- 
dian. She  appeared,  howevei^^  unhap- 
py with  Matonabbee;  and  probably  pre- 
ferred  being  the  fol^  \yifif^/f^f;a:  young 
fellow  of  lefs  note,  than  tpfliara  the 
divided  aflfedion  of  the  greatell  nian  of 
the  country^ 

^  Time  immemorial,  it  hasrbeenH  cuf- 
tom  among  thofe  peo{>le  to  wri^le  jF^ 
the  woman  to  whom  they  are  attached ; 
and  of  courfe,  the  ftrongeit  carries  off 
the  prize.  Indeed  without  a  confider- 
able  ffiiare  of  bodily  ftrength^  or  fome 
natural  or  acquired  confequence,  it  i& 
icldbni  permitted  to  keep  a  wife;  whom 


'W 


24 


Uiiair ne^s  Jahrtie^. 


a  ft]r9tigertii^  thinks  vbrth  his  notice^ 
or  w^dthSif wants  to  alfiffi  in  carrying 
hii^^gobd^i 

Tills  feVage  and  unnittiral  cuftbtn 
jn^i^tailf  ]flfkin^h  their  tribesj  and 

e^ate?  iaf  fpirit  6f  ^ttlath^  am^^g 
^th't<>  ||^iii^i(h  theipM  gym- 

ii^l^ir  ^^  tQ   Enable  them    to 

protjdE^  P^f  wves  and  propei-ty. 

TThe  lifjii^         which  they  tear  the 


lirbi^lp^ttHife^^  o- 

their^  nWii  ip  ri^ch  by  fighting  as  by 
hauling'  cad&  Vther  by  the  hair  r^  thfe 
head^^  SMdoriqi  any  hurt  i^ done  in  thofe 
Tenctttintefs*?  ipfefore  the  tonteft  begins, 
it  is  ilbt  lih^fusfl  ftii^  or  both  of  the 
combatants  to  cut  of  his  hair,  and  to 
greafe  his  (e^rs  iii  private.  If  one  only 
is  ihorn^  though  he  be  the  weakei):  tnan^ 
l>^  g#l^fly  obtains  the  viftory;  fothat 
it  is  etrideni,  addrefs  Will  e? er  exceed 
m^<?  ftrength  ^mong  all  nations. 

The  by-ftaud^rs  /never  interfere  on 
there  occadonS ;  not  eyen  the  neareft 
gyr^tion^^  except  by  advice  to  purfiic  or  ^ 
'    Abandon  the  conteft.    S<farcely  a  day 
jszfkd  ?vv ithout  fbme  oycriures  being 


/; 


Hearne's  Journejr.  25 

made  tot  contefts  of  this  kind ;  and  our 
author  fays,  it  often,  affefted  him  much, 
to  ff^e  the  objefl:  of  the  difpute,  fitting 
in  penfive  filence,  aKd  awaiting  the  te^- 
minatioti  of  the  conSibat,  whicn  was  to 
decide  her  fate.  Sometimes  a  woman 
happens  to  be  ivon  by  a  man  whom  (he 
mortally  haters  ;  but  even  in  this  cafe, 
fhe  muft  be  pallive,  fliould  Ihe  at  the 
fame  time  be  tofii  from  a  matt  fhe  really 
loves.  ./ 

It  is  gerierally,  however,  young  wo- 
men, or  at  leaft  fuch  as  have  ho  chil- 
dren, who  thus  frequently  change  maf- 
ters  ;  for  few  are  fond  of  maintaining 
the  children  of  othets,  except  on  par- 
cular  occafions.. 

Some  of  the  aged,  particularly  if  they 
have  the  reputation  of  being  conjurers, 
poiTefs  great  influence  over  the  rabble, 
and  fometimes  prevent  fuch  irregulari- 
ties. As  far,  indeed,  as  their  own  fa- 
mily and  connections  are  concerned, 
they  will  exert  th^ir  utmoft  influience ; 
but  when  their  own  relations  are  guilty, 
they  feldora  interfere.  This  partial  con- 

C 


I 


26  Hearne^s  Journey. 

duft  creates'  them  fecret,  as  well  as  o- 
pen,  enemies  ;  but  fear  or  fuperftition 
prevents  the  ebulitipns  of  revenge* 

Unprincipled  and  favage  as  tjie  nor- 
thern Indians  may  appear,  in  robbing 
eisich  other,  not  only  of  their  property, 
but  their  wives,  they  are  naturally  mild, 
stnd  feldomi  carry  their  enmity  farther 
than  Wfieft ling.  A  mHi;der  is  feldom 
heard  of  among  them  ;  and  the  perpe- 
trator of  fuch  a  horrid  crime  is  fure  to 
experience  the  fate  of  Cain :  he  is  a 
wand(erer,  and  becomes  forlorn  and  fbr- 
faken,  even  by  his  own  relations  and 
former  friends.     . 

Captain  Keelfhies  joined  them  on  the 
morning  of  the  agtn.  He  delivered  a 
packet  of  letters  to  Mr.  Hearne,  and 
fuch  goods  as  had  been  inftrufted  to 
him,  which  his  own  neceffities,  in  thel 
intermediate  time,  had  not  tempted  him| 
to  ufe. 

He  cried  oftqn,  in  fign  of  fdrrow,  for 
having  beexi  obliged  to  embezzle  fo 
much  ;  and  as  the  only  recompence 
then  in  his  power,  gave  our  authorj 
fome  rcadv-dreflfed  moofe  (kins,  whic 


IS  o- 

itlOti 


nor- 
[bing 

Tty, 

lild, 
'ther 
Idom 
erpe- 
re  to 
J  is  a 
Ifor- 

and 

n  the| 
red  a 
and 
;d  to 
a  thei 
I  him 

K  for 
le  fo 
)ence 
iithorl 
vhic 


Hearne*s  Journey.  ay 

wexe  in  reality  more  acceptable,  in  his 
prefent  fitiiation,  than  what  Keel(hi|s 
had  expended.  ■:^ :' 

Same  day  an  event  happened  that 
had  nearly  put  an  end  to  thd  expedition. 
Ah  Indian  joined  thetti,  who  infifted  on 
taking  oiie  of  Matonabbee's  wives  by 
force,  urilelshe  gave  himimlam  quan- 
tity of  ammunition,  iron,. and  other  Ar- 
ticles. .The  man,  it  appear s,^  had  very, 
Etely  ibid  the  womajr'to  the  captiin  ; , 
but  haviiig  expended  HH  the  purchafe 
iiiv^^'hjt  y^^  deterniitied  JIe^  make  a- 
nothet  bargain  for  her  :  and  as  fliewai 
a  Vety  ufeful  woman,  and  dexterous  ih 
every  f<emale  art,  that  g?tined  credit  a*, 
mong  theCe  people^  the  icHM  wSs  re- 
duced to  the  moft  nidit'ti^kjgt^^ 
He  wis  fenifibie  he  >^3is  ncift  ifcle  to 
wreftle  wi|h  the  fcli;lftiant;  he  was  ex- 
alp^ated  at  the  trick  put  upon  him  ; 
howevert  after  fomelipurs  fquabbling, 
the  prefents  "were  produced,  atid   the 

But  thisihdignjtyhfet  could  notbrook; 
he  threatened  to  renounce  his  country- 
men, and^tojoin  the  Athapufco  Indians, 


28  Hearne's  Joumi?v*r 

with  whofe  chiefs  he  was  well  acquaint-, 
ed  ;  and  from  whom  he  faid  he  had  al- 
ways met  with  more  civility  than  from 
his  ^  own  people.  Had  thi^  refolution 
been  carried  into  effefl;,  there  would 
have  been  an  end  of  the  expedition  to 
the  Copper-Mine  Riyer;  fortbeAtha- 
piifco  cpuiitry  lies  in  a  different  direc- 
tion. ^  ,  I 
]  Alamred  witti  »he  profpefl^f  a  tl^ird, 
failure,  though  under'  no  jj^^^prehenfiQa 
of  pfcrlbnal  &ty,  Mr.  I|earne  wjiited 
with  anxiety  till  he  thought  the  paflioa 
of  the  chief  had  a  little  abated  j^  and 
then  by  foochiiig^  language,  by  the  ar- 
gun>6nts  of  duty,  intereft  and  fidelity 
to  the  Hu4ibn*s  Bay  Company,  he  urg- 
ed  hin(i  not  to  abandon  an  expedition 
whicl^  could  not  be  carried  on  without 
him,  and  for  conducing  ^hich  to  a  for- 
tunate iffue,  he  might  gxpeft  not  only 
favour,  but  rewatdv 

Rage  at  laft  fVtfided, ;  ^nd  the  chief, 
though  la^i^e  iii^ltljie  afternoon,  or^iered 
his^  crew  to  adya^ce,  and  after  walking 
fome  miles  tbey  put  up  on  another  ifl- 
and  in  Pefbew  Lake. 


■7' 


Heartie's  Jdiiih^^  29 

ivjnfi  got  lo  the  ndrtU  fide  of  this 

!Q|»;1^39th»  every  ari^ng^ 
wjsis  ipjiiSe  /or  tjtcuitatingv t he  execution 
pf  thj^  j^flai^.  Mc[ft  of  tliewbmeii  and 
cl)y|^r|?tt  fe^  l^ft  under  the  care 

of  lc)nife  IM^  vii^  ord^s  to  proceed 
Wih^  noftb^jird  at  their  leiiure,  arid 
to  wait  iKe  rfetirii  6f  the  party  ftom  the 


^|t  W|ve$  with  him,  ^^1^^    Drcre  lightly 
lad|||  a^  indeed,  it  ^as  agreed  on: 


at^Ho  one  in 
Iriore  aiitlrtinitidni  or  jbthef  articles, 

caifiipiji:  ■■;';■ .  '/'    ■;   ,:  ^  '  -' 

Irtie  Women  c!Xprefled  g^  f^TJf^T^ 
at  paring,  atid  th^  c|i^f  1^  6|^gea  tp^ 
trfe  ail  hfs  authoiity  to  keep  Ma^^^ 

were  nioft  pttebus,  as  long  as  they  were 
within  hearing ;  whil^  tHemdians  walk- 
ed on  With  a  gay  ifed|8y^ce,  fci^^ 
thjlnking  pip  thpie  thiey  I^  jS^hjindj  or 
Cfittfiiibg  their  whtlle  V^gl^ 
younget  children. 


I  9 


3).*i. 


30  K^earncj*^  Journey* 

tljait  they  ia^  as^eft  tp;^aiii:^ot  hiiiif  1>^ 
night  as  by  day.  Hqi^  they  found  a  feW 


kk 


cjijiefly !  lubfifted  op  ^p^r  dried  mxJv^ 

\t  ihcHild  bavp  b^en  pblJer^^,  that  a 
iaup(ib^r<)f  lJ!^4ip?  JP^^®^  ih^P^  ?^t  CIq- 

to  thp  C|G©gejb^^ 

tberjol^ie^  ihajt  fo  iiiurder  tjb^g  Efqiill 

isaiix^^whp^  they  jo^ 

ed  that  riy^  |n  cbrifider al^  liuilfibers. 

Tthis  horrid  fc^^^        it  feems,  was  uni- 

verlally  approved  of,  and  evfefy  ittan 

eqtjfipped  hl^^  ;s^^    \  targef,  be|bife 

h^4^ft ^  #0q^^  a|<31oweyr  %1^ 

iel|^;  wl^    the  -M^Jfiifen^  and  ^  phiJcJren 

^«|€f  e  lift,  only  fi^  v<)lun 

^;.;t^     Wud^ly  fiaid -xiM  their 

^?pi§aMfjw^ 

^^^Jc)(^l^  51s  Mr.  paarne  ;was  a^riz- 
^^1  t|^^a^^  iptfnt|0%  <a|^^^ 
leriiog  ^  peopl ^  nvho  had  done^  t^ebi  no 
ihjury,  he  zealoufly  drove  to  4jtiuade 


Hearne's  Journey.  3 

them  from  fuch  a  defign ;  but  fo  far 
werk  his  eAtl*ektig8  fr/^"^^  -^---^-:-^ 


r*- 


EiEqiiimjmx^  Kjfe:wing  his  p^rl^ 


ty  depended Idii  tfii^^iid eag  his^j^t^  C 

fbt med  of  tis  cd^fiige^  hig  i)^' d^iged  "^ 
16  chan^  ihSs  tiSiie,  and  aflfeSt^dthehero'. 
He  fbuhd  it  ill  vaixi,  indeed,lo  ktii^ 
to  ftem  th  €  tbrrait  of  fevagcjiridudice, 
or  to  ih]|5^e:n>o^  humaie  c^j^ft  prin-  «;^ 
ciples,  s|i#:  therefore  he  M  |kut€^ 
them  to  tK^^sm^ 


>i  ,tN 


''>•»■■.      S 


i.^ 


^  lntj|ir- e|[^^^  ^ 

ufelefe  ettctWjl:^at*aiii:e  briciwle  df  dfe!^ 

great  fpce(lj;%iit,o%% 
the  badneft  of  j:lie  wdri^^  IS  #^^  the 
middle  of  June  before  th^yrteached  the 
latitude  of  67  die^,  Jo  miiif 

In  their  way  thither,  they  crdfled 
lev^ral  lakes  on  the  ice  :^and;  in  fome 
creeks  and  rit^ei^  thfey  cii^ghta^  i^. 
I)^er  were  fb  plentiiiJ^^ 
killed  numbers  merely  fcir  the laf^ mar- 
row an^  tongues  j  nor  was  it  pi^i^^  to     ^ 


"i^l 


iM' 


■\ 


V*  ,   ,  .»,,..'. 


M.  w^ 


Hearne's  Journey. 


**ir^ 


32 

mdk&ihmj^^    fropitjf^ wee 
ile^t^<^  #f  idle  [i^Mir^a^^  Tfeey 

or  5>tlii5|:,Mm<^  iJi^o|^e  lf5|fo^ 
n(!^(^^^fpa)fe^  them  £catc<s  ix|  apptber ; 

P9  tbf  hn^ft,  it|Wpup  be  ;^>llyito  n^ 
^  it,    ^i|ch  ||is  th^^^^l^^  (fifilh  Views 

of|»f  f^^I^I^  atcideft^Wteol  4c^a|ici 
and  wfw|  a^  iMiitt^b^         means  of  no 
more  t|ifHft  a  precaii^  , 

Hav«^ppe4  Gbg^  pn  the 

itoth  of  Jjine,  on  tb^e|^^ 

<iay  t^iiey ,  ;^i^  1^^  !%  Inch  a 

thic^  ^^  j))^  1^  fee  their 

i??a5^t,flJbF!es^  the  fun 

,brpk^w|t,|ip#^  i  %  cpiir 

vincpgwopl)^ 

in  tjbea|;tt|e^.ppla^  ,f,',  , .;;:M.w 

,      On  the  2^4  they  arrive^  at  a  branch 

^of  Copgadrthiw  »  anjd  as 

the  ice  was.  no^ferok^  up,  ih^  paff- 

fd  itinth^Ji^q^es,  wit|(^^^^^ 

|iftan«pf  iWie  Coj^er  Jta  ^^9^ 

.  ;:th^y  ;fo^f  o»  it?  hank|  Jlillpyel^ 


■  *< 


•  r      ■> 


Hearne's  Journey:.,  33 

Matonabbee,  and  many  of  his  country- 
men, were  p6rfonably  acquainted  with 
moft  of  thofe  tlopper  Indians;  and  their 
meeting  was  highly  gre?itful  to  both 
parties.  A  feaft  of  dried  meat  and  fat 
was  prepared,  and  Mcrtonabbiee  and  his 
friends  were  invited  to  partake  of  it. 

The  Copper  Indians  beihg  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  objeft  of  the  preferit 
journey,  highly  approved  6f  it^andeyen* 
offered  their  affiftance,  pai^icularly  in 
lending  their  canoes,  which  they  faid 
would  be  v^ry  ujfeful  durinjj  the  remain- 
der of  the  journey  •  Our  aqthor,  accord- 
ing to  his  ixirfraiabns;  fmokfed  th^  calu- 
met  of  peace  %ith  the  principal  of  the 
Copper  Ihdian^^yi^o  Was  d?Kgh 
the  profpeft  of  a  fettlertient  iq  his  cgun-' 
try :  and  feem^d  td  thii^  ttfei^e  €6?ufd  be 
no  i^pediitteiit  0  prevent  itj  for  thoi;gh 
he  acknowledged  that  he  had  n^verfeen 
the  fea  clear  of  ice  at  tlie  itiouth  of  the* 
Copper  River,  yet  it  did  not  occur  to 
hin]t,^  that  this  itiuft  prgvfeht  flifps  fronji 
approaching  their  territbrifeSj^ 

Tilje  whole  party  of  th^  Copper  In- 
dians, notwithft^nding  they 'ligid  never 


34  Hearne's  Journey. 

feen  an  Englifliman  before,  were  ex- 
irepely  qiviland  obliging;  our  travel- 
ler made  them  a  prefent  of  fome  fuch 
:irticle&  as  he  had,  to  conciliate  their  af- 
JcAiou  the  mor^  They  pronounced 
liim  to  he  a  perfeft  human  being,  ex- 
cept in  the  colour  of  his  hair  and  ey^s ; 
the  former  they  faid  was  like  the  ftain- 
cd  hair  of  a  buffaloe's#ail ;  and  the  lat- 
ter like  thofe  of  a  gull.^  The^whitenefs 
of  bis  flpp  they  thought  no  ornament ; 
and  compared  it  tp  Aefli  iodci<en in  water. 
However,  he  was  confiderfed  as  a  great 
curio(i{y»  and  treated,  m^i:^^^ 
fpe^>  J^hpl>  he  epn)fc?4lii$  head,  they 
^^{ked  fof  the  Iiaits  that  came  off,  which 
iheY.  (^m^  up?    faying, 

^'  when  J  lee  yoq  'ag&in,  you  (hall  fee 
fhis/'  Ijepc^  it  feein$,  that  among  the 

qivilized  and  unciviliiWr  i1^^ 

is  reg^rdpd  ^^s  ai:  proof  of  afleftion,  or 

as  a  memoTijil  ■.  of  fri^n^lhip. 

jyjjttonafebee  now  difpatched  his  bro- 
ther and  feveral  Copper  Indiians,  to  Cop- 
per-l^jn^  River,  to  anhounce  the  ar- 
rivaV  of  the  ftr^pgers,  and  the  objefts 
they  had  in  view  ;  an4  that  they  njight 


fcarneT 


\ 


lel- 

Ich 

if. 

led 


meet  with  a  more  welcome  reception, 
tobacco  and  otheir  trifling  articles  were: 
were  fent  by  the  feme  conveyance,  to 
be  diftributed  in  prefents. 

As  it  wa^  rfefolved  on  to  leave  all  fhe 
women  at  thi^  place,  and  to  proceed  to 
the  Copper-Mine  kiver  without  then:^,^ 
it  was  neceffary  to  continue  here  a  few 
days  to  kill  deer  fafficient  for  their  fup- 
port,  during  the  period  of  abfepce. 
Though  game  was  tnoft  abundant,  ib 
large  was  th^  daily  confumption,  that 
it  was  fome  time  before  they  could  pro- 
cure adequate  fupply  for  the  Woinl^ 
and  for  th^emfelvfes*  Meat^  cut  in  thin  ; 
flices  and  dried,  is  not  only  very  por- 
Vtable  biit  palatable  ;  and,  with  ihte  t;o 
^ir  it  during  the  hot  weather,  will  keep 
for  a  year  without  injury. 

Notwiihftanding  the  hofpitable  man- 
ner in  w^hich  the  Copper  Indians  be- 
haved,  in  fpite  of  Matonabbee's  exer- 
tions, fome  of  liis  party  .made  Aec  v.  ::h 
their  young  women,  clothes  and  bows  j 
a  circuiftllance  very  diftrefling  lo  oVrr 
author.  The  chief,  indeed,  did  not  feeru 
to  think  there  was  much  harm  in  mono- 


/^ 


36- 


[earne's  Journey. 


polizing  the  women;  but  he  endeavour? 
ed  to  reprefs  the  depredations  of  his  fol- 
lowers  on  other  kinds  of  property,  with- 
out making  a  due  equivalent* 

That  a  plurality  of  wives  ihould  be 
the  univer&l  cuflom  among  thefe  tribes, 
is  not  much  to  be  wondered  at,  when 
it  is  cbnfidered  that  they  are  the  greateft 
travellers  on  earth  ;  and  as  they  have 
neither  beaft  of  burden  or  water  car- 
riage, every  good  hunter  is  under  the 
neceffity  of  having  perfons  to  carry  his 
furs  to  market ;  and  none  are  fo  well 
adapted  for  this  work  as  ](hp  women, 
who  are  inured  to  carry  and  haul 
heavy  goods  from  their  very  child- 
hood ;  {o  that  he  who  is  capable  of  pro- 
viding for  three,  four,  or  more  women, 
Js,  compara^vely  fpeaking,  a  great  man. 
Jealoufies  however  fometimes  appear  a- 
mong  them,  notwithftandxng  habit  has 
familiarized  them  to  their  iituation  ; 
but  as  the  huiband  is  always  arbitrator, 
the  difpiites  are  fdon  fettled,  and  fub- 
^miflion  tnuft  be  paid  to  his  commands. 

The  northern  Indian  women  are  the 
,niilde|;  and  a^pft  yirtijous  of.  the  North 


men 

ous, 

hufb; 

othci 

brinj 

trar> 

men 

and 

oftl 

bou 

dec 

froi 

fee 


'Hearne*s  Journey.  37 

American  natives  ;  while  the  foutherii 
Indian  females  are  remarkable^'  for  the 
diffolutenefs  and  indecency  of  their 
manners.  In  faft,  they  are  fo  far  from 
laying  any  reftraints  on  the  appetites 
and  paflions,  that  they  indulge  them- 
felves  in  all  the  groflhefs  of  fenfuality, 
and  even  of  inceftuous  debauchery. 
No  accomplilhments  whatever,  in  man, 
can  conciliate  their  afFeftions,  or  pre- 
ferve  their  chaftity, 

But  though  the  northern  Indian  wo- 
men are  incomparably  the  moft  virtu- 
ous, it  is  np  unufual   thing  for  their 
hufbands  t6  exchange  beds  with  each 
other    for   a   night.     This,   however, 
brings  no  difgrace;  but,  on  the  Jbn- 
trary,  isconfidered  as  the  ftronj^eft  ce-~ 
ment  of  friendfliip  between  families; 
and  in  each  cgfe  of  the  death  of  either 
of  the  ihen,  th.^  other  tMnk*i  himfelf V 
bound  to  fupport  the^diulilten  of 
deceafed,  and  is  never  laii^^n  to  iwerve  • 
from  the  duty  of  a  parent.     Thus  we 
fee  how  nearly  virtfifee^  and  vices  are,     m 


./i^i. 


VF 


'^^': 


D 


V 


■  j 


i"t'    ' 


■t     ■ 

A- 
■'    i 


'.ri 
l■•^-^' 


\  > 


"t  .'1.  ■•»'• 


38  Hearne's  Journey. 

Though  the  northern  Indians  make] 
no  fcrttple  of  having  two  or  three  fillers 
jFor  wives  at  the  fame  time  ;  yet  they 
are  very  particular  jnobferving  a  pro- 
per diftance  in  the  cbnfenguinity  of 
thofe  whom  they  adtnit  to  their  beds. 
Thefouthern  Indians,  however^  follow 
the  moft  inceftyous  pradiees,  without| 
any  fenle  of  impropriety*  ^' J 

By  the  ^ft  of  July,  they  were  ready  10] 
proceed  on  their  journey  ;  and  having 
deterEniHed  the  latitude  of  CongecBtha- 
^hachaga  to  be  68  deg.  46  min,  north, 
^dlong^  118  deg,  15  inin,  weft,  from 
l.ondqn,  they  fet  out.  Atfirft  the  wea- 
rther  was  extremely  unpropijious,  and 
lley  made  little  progreft/  *<m  the  4th| 
it  became  more  tempetate,  land  they 
wdlked  over  the  Snowy  Mountains,  as| 
they  are  called.  At  a  diftance,  they  re- 
iembl©  a  ccinfuled  hejpof  ftones,  iitter-' 
|yriinpa|||li|;  but  under  the  guidance] 
of  the  Q||^  Indis^ns,  who  knew  the 
belt  track,  they  paflfed  them,  though 
ftot  vyithq^  b^in^  oyiged  to  c^rawl 
lotnetimes  on  their  |jitfiiis  aftd  kneasi. 


■V  ■ 


;4'#  -       < 


r  /mil 


'  I"  H'P" 


Hearne's  Journey.  3^ 

By  the  fide  of  tpe  path,  in  fevejal 
places,  were  large  flat  Itones,  eovered 
with  many  thoufands  of  fmall  pebbles, 
which  the  Copper  Ii^dians  informed 
them  hald  been  gradually  collefted  by 
paflTe^lgers  going  to  and  from  the  mines. 
Of  courfe  they  added  to  the  heap. 

As  the  fnow,  fleet,  and  rain,  fell  witli- 
out  intermiflioE  on  ihei  5th,  they  halted  j^  ^ 
but  next  day  they  were  able  to  advance 
about  eleven  miles  to  the  north-wefl:. 
Perceiving,  however,  the  appriqaich  of , 
a  fl:Qrm,  they  looked  out  far  ftieUer  a«i 
mong  the  rocks,  as^  they  had  done  th^ 
Ibu r  preceding  nights ;  having  neithei^? 
tents  nor  poks  to  eteft  them  with,    .,> 

Nfext  morning  feveral  of  tbe.  vjciltnb.t 
teers  deferted  them,  being  quite  fickof? 
the  hardfhip^  they  endured*  For  (QiVi4 
days  they  I^not^been  a  moment ;di}y^r 
^veu  at  night,  the  water  .wa^  qonft;^^ 
dropping  from  the  rocfes  that  hro^ipiri^ 
them,  and  formed  their  fole  fli^tie'r  fromi 
th^^nckmenc;^  of  tli(5  Weath^t^  iEx^q^^^^ 
to  Hgbttheir  pl|>es,  it  w^t  impoffibl^iip^: 
kindle  any  .fire.  n 

,  '  ,■',■'  ,-  ..     .  ■■'■■■  .J         «'N       #'    i      ';"'| 


40'  Hearne's  Journey. 

i  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  7  th,  they 
crawled  from  their  receffes,  and  as  the 
fun  was  hot,  it  foon  melted  the  recent 
fnow  ;  and  towards  night  they  reached 
Mtfflt  Ox  Lake,  fo  (tailed  from  the  num. 
ber  of  thofe  animals  they  found  on  its 
xnargiri.  The  Indians  killed  feveral  of 
theme ;  but  ai  the  flefli  was  lean,  th^y  on^ 
ly  Itripped  th^  'bulls  for  the  fake  of  theirv 


This  was  the  firft  time  they  had  feen 
ally  of  thofie  anitnals,  fince  they  left  the 
fal^y.  In  the  Ki^h  latitudes,  how- 
ever,  many  herds  or  them  may  be  feen 
ift  tl^  courfe  of  a  Say's  walk.  The  num* 
b^r  of  btills  is  very  fmall  in  proportion 
to^pit  of  covi^ }  fo  that  there  is  every 
realbn  to  belieire  they  kill  each  other. 
They  delight  in  the  moft  ftony  and 
mdtilltftinolispatt^  of thebii^   ground, 

^IW^gh  of  confiderable  magnitude, 
axwif  pi)iretitly  little  iadapted  for  agility, 
tfiey  tlimb  the  rocks  with  the  facility  of 
^tSjSnd  like  theriijtoo^ feed  on  every 

■  Irtg^  mofs,  herbage,  orteowfe. 

The  muik  o3t,  when  full  grown,  is. 
about  the  ordinary  fize  of  EnglifhblacI; 


Hearne's  Journey^  41 

cattle  ;  but  their  legs  are  fliorter  and 
thicker.  The  tail  is  (hort,  and  always 
bent  inwards,,fo  that  it  is  entirely  hid  m 
the  long  hair  of  the  rump  und  hind 
quarters.  The  hunch  on  the  llioulders 
is  not  very  prominent;  t]ie  hair^  on 
fome  parts  is  very  long,  |>articularly  on 
the  bulls,  under  the  throat,  where  it  ap- 
pears like  a  horfe's  mane  inverted,  and 
^^'ves  the  animal  a  very  formidable  ap- 
pearance. It  is  of  this  hair  that  the 
Efquiniaux  make  their  muiketto  wigs. 
Towards  the  approach  of  winter,  they 
are  provided  with  a  fine  thick  wool,  or 
fur,  which  grows  at  the  root  of  the  long 
hair,  and  fliields.  them  from  the  intenfe 
cold  vl  that  feafon,  in  this  dreary  clim- 
ate -fhis  covering  of  nature  falls  off 
and  inimediately  a  new  one  begins  to 
appear. 

The  flefh  of  the  muflc  ox  refembles 
that  of  the  moofe  or  elk  ;  the  fat  is  a 
clear  white,  flightly  tinged  with  azure. 
i/I  e  calves  and  young  heifers  are  good  ' 
eating  J  but  the  flefli  of  the  bulls  fmells 
and  talies  fo  ftrong  of  muflvj  that:  it  is  al- 


42  Hearrie's  Journey. 

moft  intolerable.  Even  the  knife  that 
cuts  the  flefti  of  an  old  bull,  will  fmeU 
fo  ftrong,  that  nothing  but  fcowering 
it  can  remove  the  fcent.  The  organs 
of  generj^tion,  however,  and  parts  ad- 
jacent, are  moft  ftrongly  impregnated. 

The  weather  being  fine  and  moder- 
ate on  the  8th,  they  walked  s^outeightr 
tctn  or  twenty  u  ;s,  apd  nieeting  with 
fome  deer,  they  kindled>  fire,  and  made 
a  better  and  m(s)re  comfortable  meal 
than  they  had  done  fpr  a  week.  Their 
clothes  too  were  no)^  dried  by  the  fun 
and  wind,  and  they  Ifelr  thertilelves  in 
paradife,  compared  v^ith  tMr  %t^  fitu-! 
ation. 

That  night  they  lay  near  Bear  Griz^ 
zledHill,  which  takes  its  n«ime  from  the 
number  of  thofc  animals  tha|  retire 
hither  to  bring  forth  their  young  in  a 
cave.  Our  author  having  heard  fo 
much  of  thisfpot,  lie  had  the  ciiriofity 
to  view  it. 

He  tbund  nothing,  however^  to  re- 
ward his  labour,  but  a  tumiilus  of  loamy 
earth,  in  the  middle  of  a  marfli,  There 
are  feveriil  little  hills  df  tlie  fame  kind} 


w 


Hearne*s  Journey,  43 

but  the  higheft  is  not  more  than  twenty 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  ground. 

On  the  fide  of  Grizzled  Bear  Hill  is 
a  large  cave,  which  penetrates  a  con* 
(iderable  way  into  the  rocic,  and  may 
probably  have  been  thq  labdur  of  the 
bears,  which  have  maefenumerous  deep 
furrows  in  fearch  6f  ground-fquirrels  - 
and  mice,  .which  conftitute  a  favourite 
part  of  their  food. 

The  weather  beintg  very  favourable 
on  the  9th,  tltey  walked  a  great  num- 
l^pr  of  miles,  and  by  the  way  faw  plenty 
of  degr  and  ntuflc  txxen.  Next  day,  a- 
bout  nooil)  it  becamtfTo  hot  and  fuhry, 
that  walking  was  (Juite  irkfome ;  they- 
therefoj-e  put  up  on  the  top  of  a  high 
iiill,  and  tis  the  mofs  was  then  dry,  they 
lighted  a  fire,  and  virould  have  bfeen 
(^gmfortable  in  oth^r  refpefts,  had  not 
the  mofehettoes  fturig  them  in  thei^oft 
intolerable  manner. 

The  fiibfSequent  day  was  alio  very 
Ailtify.  After  walking  ^l>out  ten  miles, 
they  f^ll  in  with  a  iibrthern  Indian  lead- 
p,  named  oy-Eye,  an^ 'jh^i^  jpsimily, 
in  company  with  fcveralCoppMwians, 


44  Heatne's  Journey. 

killing  deer 'with  boWs,  arrows,  and 
fpears*  Mr.  Hearne  finoked  his  calumet 
with  thefe  ftrangers,  and  found  thera 
itiuch  lefs  fociable  than  tneir  country- 
raen,  whoni  he  had  formerly  feen  ;  for 
though  they  h^^  plenty  ^f  proVifion?, 
they  would  not  part  with;  a  mouthful ; 
but  oti  the  coirtraliy  trie^  to  rob  and 
plunder  them  of  every  thing. 

The  1 2th  was  fo  Mtrf^  ^at  they  did 
not  move;  but  early  ne3^tin6rning|hey 
fet  out  forward,  in  h6pfes  of  reacning 
Copper-Mine  River  that  day.  IJbwever, 
having  mounted  a  long  chain  of  hills, 
at  the  foot  of  which  thejjr  were  tMd  the 
river  ran,  they  found  it  to  be  no  tnore 
than  a  branch  of  it,  which  Ml  into  the 
main  ftream  abo^it  forty  mifes  from  it$ 
influx  into  the  fea.         T^^  ;      '^^ 

At  this  time  all  the  Copper  Indians 
were  diipatehed  different  ways^  fo  that 
none  of  them  knew  ^he  neareft  road^ 
Piifeftfrtg  their  qoiiffe,  however,  by  the 
fide  of  this  riyul^t^  in  hdpes  of  conithg 
10  the  maih  ftream^  they  fell  in  l;^ithfe 
^V^ral  fine  buck  deer  J  v^Mch 
and  feaft^d  bn  with^  ^reat  glee 


Hearne's  Journey,  45 

After  regaling  themfe^ves,  and  tak- 
ing, a  few  hours  reft,  they  once  mor^ 
fet  forward,  and  after  walking  albout 
ten  miles,  they  arrived  at  the  long-wifh- 
for  fpot^  the  Gopper-Mine;  River. 

Sqarcely  lm4  tn^  «itrived  herCj  when 
they  were  joined  by  fiUr  of  the  natives 
with  tlyo  canoes.  They  hadieeaall  the 
Indians  who  had  ten  fen t  to  announce 
their  a^prQ4p,h,  except  Matonabbee's 
brother  and  p^^ty,  who  had  fet  out  firft, 

Mri  Hearpe  was  not  only  iurprifed^ 
b^it  mortified,  to  find^  the^  river  |o  very 
diperpnr  firom^he  del^  of  it  given 

at  the  fa^rjs^  f^  J#ftead  of  being  navir 
gablefor  fliippingy  a-s  b  ad  been  r-^preftnt^ 
ed,  it  \!^u|4  fearcjeily^^  fwin<^  an  Indian 
canoe j  being  every^iere  full  of  fhosjs 
and  frequent  fells^.  _   |^  ^. 

Near  the  edge  of  tti^  ft  ream,?  which 
inigh|  be  about  one  hundrjed  and  ^hty 
yards  fcitoad,  were  fomp  kinds  ofiyood; 
but  thoi^gh  it  f^emed  to  h^ve  been  more 
gleniiful  fbrnierly^  there  wa^  very  lit^ 
in  the  vicinity,  and  none  fit  for  any  JN^ 
ihei  |^ur|a%thi^  u 


f  ^■ 


\         \ 


Pa 


l-.V'        \ 


46  Kearneys  Jouriiiey. 

Soon  after  their  arrival ,  three  Indi- 
ans were  difpatched  to  look  out  for  any 
Ifquimaux  who  might  be  on  the  banks 
of  the  rivei-  ;>and  every  precaution  was 
taken  to  prevent  an  alarm,  that  the 
deftined  viftiim  might  foil  into  their 
bttids  without  iii|>preh«i^fi6m  ( 

On  ike  morniiig  bf  the  1 5th  df  J  nly ; 
Mr*  Hi^arne  begaii  his  ftirvcy 
ceeded  d^wn  the  rivei*,;w^i<::h  w     eve^^ 
tf  wh^rfe^  folt  of  fealtf  ^ind^in^fo 
)plme^  tftftjy  contra<aed  ill  it^  breadtti. 
Next  day  he  adyaiatied  About  tbu^  1^^ 
ferther,  and  fotuid  it  tlife  fekitlfei 
Smn  after  thdy  fu%i&nd#  i^  Curvey 
tht  day^  Ihree  ipi^s  feitirn^,  and 
Mpterted  that  th^  bad  dM5^ 
teiits  in  ihe  itloA  lairoui^^  fituatte^ 
for  a  furprife.   All  atteliHdh^^  th^  bu 
te^  of  the  fury^y  was  now  mijpend* 
ed  }|tife  whole  tho«ght§  of  the  Jiiidia 
w^  ablbrlbed  in  platirtiiig  tfie  beft 
'   of  ai:taGk,  a^d  of  tt^aing  ob^^i^ 


'/"■• 


,...,-i 


...r*r 


."'«')■ ' 


.,_,_,^^  ,cr<^#c|.  ib#frl^er^,  iiiiai|ijP^. 
lot  ail  the  w^oBs  in  ordei^^ti 


j  ■'J^0%^:%:-' 


Hearne's  Journey^  47 

painted  a  part  of  his  fliield  with  fome 
figure,  generally  the  fun,  moon,  or 
fonvQ  bird  or  beaft  of  prey,  in  which 
they  placed  their  reliance  for  fuccefs  in 
(he  intended  engagement. 

From  the  hurry  in  which  this  bufi- 
nefs  was  executed,  and  the  deficiency 
both  of  ikill  land  colours,  moft  of  the 
paintings  had  little  refemblance  to  any 
thing  in  heaven  or  on  earth ;  but  they 
fatisfied  the  artifts,  and  that  was  fufE- 
cient. 

This  piece  of  fuperflitiorifeng  com- 
pleted, they  advanced  towards  the  Ef- 
quimj^ux  tents  with  the  utmoft  caution 
and  filence;   a|id  though  an   undifci- 
plinied  rabble,  and  by  no  means  aecuf- 
tomec^  to  war,  no  fooner  had  they  en- 
tered op  this  horrid  fcheme,  than  th6y 
aded  with   the  utmoft  juniforriiity  of 
fentiment.    There  was  neither  alt^^^rca- 
,  tioi^  nor  contending  pp^nipn;  j^l  were 
wited  in  the  ge^erjd  cauie,  and  as  rea* 
dy  to  follow  as  I|4atonabb^e  to  lead*  '^ 
^      I^ever  was  %•  reciprocity  of  inter ffft 
,  rabre  generally  regarded  j  arid  if  ewer 
;he  fpirit  of  difiiiterefted  friendihipa. 


R 


48  .  Hearne's  Journey.        ^ 

nimated  the  bf eaft  of  a  northern  Indi- 
an, it  was  here  difpfeyed  in  glowing 
colours.  Property  of  every  kind  ceaf- 
Ifed  to  be  private:  each  was  proud  of 
an  opportunity  of  fupplying  the  wants 
of  his  neighbour. 

The  attacking  patty  was  Judged  to 
be  quite  as  numerous  as  the  Efquimaux 
in  their  five  tents,  could  poffibly  be ; 
and  befides,  beifig  fo  much  better  ^ 
qyipped,  nothing  lefs  than  a  miracle 
was  likely  tofave  the  poor  favagies  frpm 
i^  general  ntiaflacre. 
t  The  land  ^as  fo  fituated,  that  they 
i;jralked  under  cover  of  the  rocks  a:nd 
hills,  till  within  two  hundred  yards^of 
the  tents.  Here  they  halted,  to  wiatch 
the  motions  of  the  enemy,  and  would 
have  perfuaded  our  Author  to  remain 
till  the  engagement  was  over.        ■ 

But  though  h^  difclaimed  having  any 
iiltej^ir^nce  in  the  deed  of  deith,  lie 
thou^lit  it  mot^e  pfudeiit  to  accompa- 
ny them  ;  and  the  Indians  were  not  at 
liitle'^mtified  with  hi^  promptxiefr  to 
be  ipf  the  party.  -^ 


■rv-. 


A--'' 


.   Hearne's  Journey.  49 

The  laft  ceremonies  were  nowper- 
fortned,  which  confifted  in  painting 
iheir. faces;  fome  black,  fome  red, 
and  others  a  mixture  of  the  two* 
They  next  made  themfelves  as  light  as 
poffible  for  running,  by  almoft  ftrip- 
ping  themfelves  naked.  Mr.  Heame, 
fearing  he  might  have  occafion  to  run 
with  the  reft,  pulled  off  his  ftockings 
and  cap,  and  tied  up  his  hair  as^^  clofe- 
ly  as  poffible. 

It  was  now  near  qne  in  the  morning* 
of  the  17th,  when,  finding  the  Efqui- 
maux  all  ftill,  they  rufhed  from  their 
ambufcade,  and  fell  on  the  unfufpeft- 
ing  favages,  who  did  not,  perceive  their 
4anger  till  it  was  too  late  to  avoid  it. 
"  The  fcene  was  fhocking  beyond  de- 
fcription.  The  unhappy  viAims  were 
furpriied  in  the  riliddle  of  their  fleep ; 
men,  women^  and  childten,  to  the 
number  of  twenty,  ran  out  of  their 
tents  ft  ark   naked,    and  endeavoured 

*  Tf  Is  proper  to  obferve,  they  were  far  with- 
in tb.e.arftic  circle,  where  thie  fun  never  fets  at 
Ibis  fe^lon  ot  the  year. 


'i: ... 


m 


50  Heame's  Journey. 

to  fly  J  but  the  Indians  had  pofleflion  of 
the  land  fide ;  and  as  they  did  not  at- 
tempt to  throw  themfelves  into  the  ri- 
ver, the  whole  fell  a  facrifice  to  un- 
*  provoked  barbarity* 

Their  (hrieks  were  moft  dreadful  j 
but  no  part  of  this  bloody  affair  filled 
our  author  with  deeper  horror  than 
the  fate  of  a  young  girl,  apparently  a- 
bout  eighteen.  She  was  ftabbed  fo  near 
him,  that  (he  fell  down  at  his  feet,  and 
twifted  round  his  leg^;  fo  that  he  could 
fcarcely  extricate  himfelf  from  her  dy- 
pg  grafp.  He  folicited  hard  for  her 
|ife ;  but  the  murderers  made  no  reply 
jtill  they  transfixed  her  with  two  fpears. 
They  then  looked  fternly  at  him,  and 
in  ridicule,  aflked  him  if  he  wanted  an 
t^fquim^bx  wife^ 

Though  the  poor  wretch  was  twinr 
ing  round  their  fpears,  they  contin-iied 
their  taunts;  when  Mr*  Hearne  beg? 
ged  they  would  at  lead  releafe  her  froiiji 
Jier  mifery.  On  which  one  of  them 
pierced  her  through  the  bread.  3rhf 
love  of  life,  however,  prompted  her 
to    attempt    to    ward    off  the^,  blow, 

i  '  ,       ■-■  .-,'      '  •■  ,    /•     /      --- 


Hearne*s  Journey^  51 

which,  in  her  fituation,  was  the  ex- 
treme of  mercy  to  inflift. 

"  My  (ituation/*  fays  our  author, 
"  and  the  terror  of  my  mind,  at  the 
fight  of  this  butchery,  can  neither  be 
conceived  nor  defcribed.-  Though  I 
fummoned  up  all  my  refolution,  it  was 
with  difficulty  1  could  refrain  from 
tears :  even  at  this  hour,  I  cannot  re- 
fleft  on  the  tranfaftions  of  that  horrid 
diay,  without  the  moft  painful  emoti- 
ons/* * 

But  the  brutality  of  thefe  favage$, 
tp  the  bodies  they  had  deprived  of  liffe, 
was  ft  ill  as  fhoqking,  and  certiainly 
iHdre  inexcufable.  Their  indetent  cy- 
riofity  in  examining  the  conformatidH 
of  the  women^  which  they  preteilddd 
to  fay  differed  from  their  own,  made 
nature  revQlt  at  the  idea. 

When  thefe  people  were  all  mafla- 
cred,  feveh  other  tents  on  the  other 
fide  of  the  river  attra^ed  their  notidej 
%tit  providentially  for  the  Efquimauit, 
the  bstggage  and  canoes  had  been  left 
fpine  way  up  the  river,  and  there  %a$ 
nB  other  way  of  crofling  it*   pElie  rivel^^ 


i^  /.\ 


8*  5^, 


52  -^;?^     He«r|i€^s  Journey.     • 

l»tt*--  ,;        ..'.■■  .    •     V  ■fi''\i*-|'"**  :    •;■/:■•  '  .-  .  ,/   . 

here  was  about  Eighty  yards  pver;  jand 
to  alarm  them'  if  they  cojild  not  kill 
themy  they  began  firing.  The  poor 
Efquimaux,  J:hough  on  the  watch, 
were  fo  much  unacquainted  with  the 
nature  of  fire-arms,  that  they  did  not 
attempt  to  fly.  When  the  bullet  (truck 
|h^  ground",  they  ran  with  a  vacant  cu- 
ricrfity  to  lee  what  it  w^l  At  length 
one  of  them  was  wouhrled  In  the  leg, 
which  immediately  tJi^rew  them  into 
confufion.  They  ran  tq  their-  canqesV 
and  were  Toon  but  of  the  reach  of  the 
,  nor  thera  Indians. 

,  Having  plundered  the  tetits  of  the 
d^ecekfed  of'' all  the  copper  veffels  they 
cjottld  find,  thiEy  aflremt)led  on  the  top 
of  in  adjacent  hill|^  and  forming  a  cir- 
cle^ with  jheir  fpear.s  ereft,  claftied 
them  together^  and  gave  many  fliouts 
of  victory  J  frequently  calling  put  ti- 
ma!  timal  or  ^vhat  cheer,  by  way  of 
4erifion  to  the  poor  furviying  Eiqul^ 
maux,  who  were  ftanding  alnioft  kr?^ 
deep  in  the  water,  ^  V     "^ 

^ftcr  parading  for  fome  time,  tbey 
fctoi?t  lor  their  canp^s,  and  failing  1^ 


derco 

ed  th 
liiaux 

gone, 

tying 

but  t1 

gain 

man, 

nefs, 

fury 

hand 

.    Ai 

firft 
wohi 
ver, 
thid 


figh 
mur 
moi 
frot 
difc 


:''i 


thr 
the 


vv.t-. 


.  .  i: 


/I^,. 


Kearne's  jojurney. 

>  ...  ' 

der  cover  of  the  bank,  they  appi^oacfi- 
ed  the  other  tents,  where  the  Efqai- 
maux,  thinking  probably  they  were 
gone^  had  returned,  and  were  bufy  in 
tying  tifJ  bundles*  Thefewere  feizedj 
but  the  owners  fortunately  efcaped  a-^ 
gain  in  their  canoes,  except  one  otA 
man,  who  wa$  t<oo  ihtept  on  his  bufi* 
nefs^,  and  who  fell  a  iacrifice  to  their 
fury  ;  for  not  fewer  than  twenty  bad  k 
hand  in  his  death. 

^  As  they  were  relf eating  from  the 
firft  fcene  of  blood,  they  found  antolil 
woman,  litting  by  the  fide  of  the  ri- 
ver, killing  Tal moh j  whicli  lay  very 
thick  it  her  feet.  Whether  from  the 
noife  of  the  fall,  or  a  great  defeft  iii' 
fight,  (he  had  not  been  apprized  of  the 
murder  of  her  conipanions,  though  not 
more  than  two  hundred  yaT<i8  diftant 
from  the  fcene  of  blood  ;  nor  ciid  ihe 
diftbver  her  enemies,  till  they  were^juft 
wi|fcm  rfcach  of  her;  -  ; 

,  ^^9  fly  was  in  vain.  She  was  pierced 
through  \vith  nume,rous  ipears,  with 
the  Moft  matrkfed  an^  ftudied  cruelty* 


m 


# 


54  Hearoe's  Jdiirnty. 

The  only  inftrumetit  that  vhis  poor 
half-blind  wretch  had  to  catch  falmon 
with,  was  a  light  pole,  armed  with  a 
few  fpikes,  which  ftie  put  under  water, 
pd  pulled  up  with  a  jerk.  Spmeof  the 
Indians  tried  this  miethod  of  fifliing  ; 
apd  fo  extremely  numerous  were  the 
falmon  ^t  this  place,  that  they  feldom 
brought  up  lefs  than  two  at  a  pull. 

Thefe  fifli,  though  very  fine  and 
beautifully  fpotted  red,  were  feldom 
m(>re  than  about  fix  or  feven  pounds 
weight;  bijtthfirhuni^  were  almoft 
incredible^  and  equal  to  any  thing  re- 
lated of  the  fhoals  in  Kamfchatka, 
Iwleed  the  Efquimaux  have  fcarcely 
any  other  means  of  fubfiftence  than 
Ml. 

V  After  having  plundered  the  fecond 
encampment,  thq, northern  Indians 
threw  the  tents  intd  the  river,  and  de- 
ftroyed  a  large  ftock  of  provifi^)ij|, 
merely  from  the  infernal  I'atisfaiaon 
of  doing  all  the  mifchief  in  their  p^w^ 
er  to  the  unhappy  Ef(]uimaux,  whti 
were^  ftanding i^po;  a  diftant  flioal,  the 
woful  ipeftators  oif  their  lofs. 


Pearne's  Journey, 


55 


This  bufinefs  being  completed,  they 
refrefhed  themfelves ;  and  iLea  told 
Mr.^Heame,  that  they  were  again  rea^ 
dy  to  affift  him  in  the  furvey.  He  there- 
fore inftantly  fet  about  it,  and  purfued 
it  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  which  j^as 
in  every  part  fo  full  of  fhoals  and  falls, 
as  not  to  be  navigiible  even  by  a  boat. 
The  tide  happened  to  be  out,  and  a 
bar  evidently  obftrufted  the  very  en- 
trance of  the  ftream.  At  the  eftuary  of 
the  river,  the  iea  is  fuU  of  Mandsand 
fhoals,  as  far  as  the  telefcope  cail  reach. 
The  ice,  though  it  was  the  17th  of  Ju- 
ly, was  only  partiaMy  broken  up  round 
the  Chores^ 

Finding,  after  all  his  labour,  that 
this  river  was  unfit  for  being  the  chan- 
nel of  any  commercial  intercourfe  j 
and  a  thick  fog  and  drizzling  rain 
coming  on,  he  did  not  wait  to  take  an 
exafl:  obfervation  for  determining  the 
bljitude,  but  immediately  fet  out  with 
his  attendants,  on  his  return  to  the 
fiDuthward.       .    . 

However,  before  we  proeeeul,  it  ii»4 
he  proper  to  give  a  more  particular 


1/    56.  Hearne*s  Jcjriirisey. 

aceaunt  of  the  river  and  tht  Goiiritry 
adjacent,  Befidels  fome  ftun^ted  pines, 
there  are  tufts  of  dwarf  willows  on  the 
banks,  plenty  o(  what  is  called  wifii^ 
acuoipucky,  fome  jackafheypuck,  and 
a  few  cranberries  atid  heathberry  biifli- 
es  ;  b^t  not  the  leail  appestrance  of  a- 
liy  Iruit.  JEven  this  Icanty  vegetation 
decreafes  as  the  riyer  approaches  the 
lea ;  and  for  the  laft  thirty  miles,  no- 
.  thing^is  to  be  feeri  but  barren  hills  and 
maribes,  fome  patches  of  herbage,  and 
at  the  lip^  fine  icurvy- 

grals.  '^ 

The  general  direction  of  the  river  is 
nearly  north  by  eaft,  and  its  breadth 
varies  fiforti  twenty  to  four  or  five  hun- 
dred yards.  The  banks  are  generally 
a  foiid  rock  ;  both  fides  of  which  cor- 
reipon4,  and  furnilh  an  irrefragable 
prooft^that  the  channel  was  formed  by 
fome  violent  convulfion  of  nature. 

Some  of  the  Indians  pretend  thai 
die  Gopper-Mine  River  takes  its  rife 
from  the  north  fide  of  Large  White 
StonqLjdte,  which  is  diftftnt  three  hun- 
dred miles  in  a  (traight  line  J  but  our 


5? 

.■"«■ 


,  Ife^irne's  Journi^jr.  57 

author  cannot  think  that  its  fource  is 

fo  remote,  othierwife  he  conceives  its 

.  volume  muft  fe^  infinitely  greater  than 

It  IS. 

S      The  Efquimaux,  who  refide  on  this 
j  river,  are  rather  low  in   ftature,  and 

4-.'/      '  '  ■  '  ,,        -  ' 

r^  though  thick  Jet  ^  are  neither  well  made 
j  nor  ftrong.  Their /Complexion  is  a  dir- 
ty copper  colour,  though  fome  of  the 
women  lare  more  fair.  Their  drefs  re- 
fembles  that  ^Stbe  Greenlanders  in 
Davis's  Str^iigl^-  except  that  the  wo^ 
men's  boots  ar#  not  ftiffened  out  with 
whalebone,  and-tbe  tails  of  their  jack-^ 
ets  are  much  fcorttr. "" 

Their  arms  and  filhing  tackle  exact- 
ly refemble  thofe  of  their  nation  in 
Hudfon's  Straights,  but  for  want  of 
edge-tools,  are  inferior  in  workman- 
fhip. 

.5l^heir  tents  are  rnade  of  parchment 
d^rikins  in  the  hair^  and  are  pitched 
in-  a  circular  fbrni.1^^  winter,  nowe^ 
ver,  they  have  huts  half  underground, 
rifing  and  pointed  like  a  cone  :  thefe 
are  always  erefled  in,  the  moil  Ihelter* 
ed  fituations. 


'-■:m 


■^ 


.  1*. 


,'r\.-.v 


t'*' 


58  Heartje's  Journey, 

Their  domeftic  utenfils  confiit  of 
ftone  kettles  and  wooden  troughs ; 
diflies,  fcoops,  and  fpoons  made  of  the 
horn^  of  the  mufk  ox.  Some  of  their 
kettles  are  capable  of  containing  five 
or  fix  gallons,  and  are  hollowed  outin 
the  form  of  an  oblopg  Iquarc^  withiiQ 
other  inftrument  than  a  harder  ftone 
to  work  with. 

Their  hatchets  are  made  of  a  thick 
lump  of  copper,  aBout:||ye  or  fix  inch- 
es long,  and  aboui  t!«^^inclies  Iquare, 
bevelled  away  like  at  mortice-chiffel, 
with  a  handle  about  a  foot,^  or  more, 
in  length.  Neither  the  weight  nor  the 
fearpnefs  will  admit  of  the  tool  being 
ufed  with  much  fuccefs  by  itfelf,  and 
therefore  it  is  generally  applied  to  the 
wood  like  a  chiffel^  and  driven  in  with 
a  heavy  club. 

The  ipe^r^  and  knives  are  alfo  i^^e 
of  copper^  and  afliong  the  Ipoils  of 
twelve  tents,  only  two  fmall  piec#  of 
iron  were  found.  j 

Thefe  people  had  a  fine  breeds  df 
dogs,  with  fharp  ereft  ears,  fharptiofts 
and  bufhy  tails.  They  were  all  tied  to 


Hearne*s  Journey.  59 

ftones,  probably  to  prevent  them  from 
eatjng  the  fifli  that  was  fpread  out  to 
dry  on  the  rocks.  The  Indians  did  not 
meddle  with  thofe  animals  ;  but  after 
they  had  retired,  lamented  they  had 
not  brought  off  fome  of  them  for  ufe. 

Though  there  appeared  fcarcely  aliy 
diflference  between  thefe  people  and  the 
natives  of  Hudfon*s  Bay,  in  their  ge- 
neral appearance  and  domeftic  econor 
my,  yet  as  the  former  had  all  the  hair 
of  their  head§  pulled  out  by  the  roots, 
they  mighr  fet%ly  ht  pronounced  of  a 
diflPerent  tribe. 

Near  this  mouth  of  the*Copper-Mine 
River  they  faw  many  feals  on  the  ice, 
and  flocks  of  marine  fowls  flying  a- 
bcut  the  fliores.  In  the  adjacent  pool§ 
were  alfo  fvvans  and  geefe  in  a  moulting 
fl:ate,  and  in  the  marfliesfome  curlews 
and  plovers. 

7j^hat  the  muflc  oxen,  deer,ibwears, 
i^^ves,  foxes,  alpine  hares,  ^ntf  %^ri- 
ous  other  quadrupeds,  are  the  conftant 
denizens  of  this  coaft,  is  a  h&:  that 
may  be  dependrd  on,  Mr.  Hearne  did 
not  fpe  any  bird  peculiar  to  thofe  parts, 


6o  Hearne's  Journey* 

except  what  the  Copper  Indians  call 
the  Alarm  Bird.  I  ^appears  to  be  of 
the^E>wi  genus ;  and'its  name  is  faid  to 
be  well  adapted  to  ks  qualities.  When 
it  defcries  either  man  or  bead,  it  di. 
refts  its  flight  towards  them,  and  ho- 
vering over  them,  forms  gyra(:ions 
round  their  head*  Should  two  objefts 
at  once  arreft  their  attention,  they  fly 
from  the  one  to  the  other  alternately^ 
making  a  loud  fcreapriing,  like  ^he  cry- 
ing of  a  child.  In  thi^  manner  they 
will  follow  travellers  a  whole  day. 

The  Copper  Indians  have  a  great 
value  for  thefe  birds,  as  they  frequent- 
ly indicate  the  approach  of  ftrangers, 
or  conduft  them  to  the  herds  of  deer 
and  muflc  oxen,  which,  without  fuch 
afliftance,  they  might  poffibly  mifs. 

Unfortunately,  however,  for  the  Ef- 
quimaux,  they  do  not  feem  to  place 
the  filne  faith  in  the  alarm  bird.  d[f 
they  had,  they  muft  neceflarily  have 
been  apprized  of  the  approach  of  the 
northern  Indians,  a§  all  the  time  they 
lay  in  ambufli,  before  the  maflacre  be- 
giiil,  a  flock  of  them  was  continually 


fl^-^'i. 


Hearne's  Journey.  6 1 

flying  about,  and  alternately  hovering 
over  the  tents  of  the  affailaiits.        4. 

But  to  return.  Having  walked  abom 
thirty  'miles  foil th  eaftward  of  the  ri- 
verv  they  came  to  one  of  the  copper 
mines,  if  it  deferves  that  appellation. 
It  is  no  more  than  a  jumble  pf  rocks 
and  gravel,  which  have  been  rent  by 
an  earthquake,  and  through  which  rolls 
a  fmall  ftreatii- 

The  Indians,  whofe  partial  accounts 
gave  rife  to  this  expedition,  reprefeiit- 
ed  the  mine  as  fo  immenfely  rich,  that 
a  fhip  might  be  ballafled^with  the  ore 
inftead  of  ftoiie,  with  perfed  facility  ; 
and  that  the  hills  were  entirely  com* 
pofed  of  that  metal,  all  in  portaole 
lumps.  After  a  fearch  of  four  hours, 
however.  Mi  learne  and  his  attend- 
ants could  find  only  one  piece  of  cop- 
per of  any  fize,  and  that  did  not  weigh 
more  than  four  pounds.  Yet  it  feems 
probable,  that  this  metal  has  formerly 
in  much  greater  plenty,  as  the 
s  and  ftones  are  every  where  ting- 
wJith  A^er digrea^.   ,  ^  ^^ 


r3 


mm 


m 


m 


Iv. 


-  • 

62  '  Hearne's  Journey. 

,  There  is  a  fingular  tradition  among 
the  natives,  that  a  woman  firft  difco- 
vered  thofe  mines,  and  that  (he  con- 
duced her  countrymen  to  the  fpot  for 
feveral  years  fucceffively ;  but  as  ^fome 
of  them  attempted  to  behave  rudely  to 
her,  ihe  made  a  vow  of  revenge,  and 
being  a  great  conjurer,  ihe  put  it  in 
etfeft.  When  the  men  had  loaded 
themfelves  with  copper,  fhe  refufed  to 
return ;  and  faid  flie  would  fit  on  the 
mine  till  fhe  funk  into  the  ground  with 
all  the  copper.  Next  year,  when  the 
men  went  for  their  annual  fupply,  fhe 
had  funk  down  to  ,the  waift,  though 
flill  alive,  and  the  copper  w^as  vaftly  di- 
miniflied  ;  and  on  their  repeating  their 
vifit  thp  following  year,  fhe  had  quite 
difappeared,  and  all  the  principal  part 
of  the  mine  with  her;  fo  that  after  that 
period,  nothing  remained  on  the  fur- 
face  but  a  few  fmall  pieces.* 


*  In  this  tradliiprji  the  circumftances  of  the 
copper  mines  appear  to  be  liigenioufly  veiled  A i 
iirfti  large  JUnips  of  metal  wer^  fot»nd  on  the 
fnrface  of  the  e^rth  ;  by  degrets  that  was  carri- 
ed jiway  ;  and  afterwards  none  was  to  be  had| 


Hearne's  Journey.  6^ 

Before  Churchill   River  was  fettled 
b]^  the  Hudfon's  Bay  Company,  the 
northern  Indians  had  very  little  iron 
work  among  them :  alnioft  every  im- 
plement was  made  of  copper ;  and  to 
thi&ipot  they  annually  reforted,  till  this 
metal  began  to  fail,  and  they   found 
other  refources,  of    a   fuperior  kind. 
Yer  to  this  day,   the  Copper  Indians 
prefer  their  native  ore  for  almoft  eve- 
ry ufe,  texcept  that  of  the  hatchet,  the 
knife,  and  the  awl. 
.   ]rhe  Cojiper  and  Dog^-ribbed  Indi- 
ans^ lying  fo  remote  froni  the  faftory, 
generally  ufe  the  intehnediate  tribes  as 
brokers  or  chapmen  ;    and  in   confe-^' 
quence  pay  very  dearly  for  every  Eu- 
ropean article  they  ftand  in  need  of. 
Several^tlempts,  it  feems>  have  been 
made  to  i^iduce  thofe  diftant  nations  to 
traffic  iinme4iately  wkh  the  Huclfon's 
Bay  Compactly,  at  the  fort ;  b^tlhdugh 

'. ,:  r-':^'Sm  '•"  '  ■'  '■  '  .  '  "'■■'  '  ^  '  '■ 
except  «%' 'digging  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 
Fron^  vaui|>amhor'8.  defcription,  tliere  le  Wtths, 
doi|blt  feMl.fnatuhere  are  rich  njJFies  to  be  founil- 
he^C  ;  buV  of  what  ufe  would  they  be,  wh,^p 
tht5fe%1iHJ-mci^   of  conveyance  for  the  ore  ? 


''    -H 


^4  Hearne's  Journey; 

liberal  prefents  have  been  given  to  thofe 
^who  had  the  refolution  to  venture  fo 
far,  both  for  theuifelves  and  their 
chiefs,  the  northern  Indians  haite  con- 
ftantly  piunderied  then^  of  every^ithing, 
before  th^y  could  reach  their  homes. 
This  hard  tr^tment,  added  to  the  ma^ 
ny  inconven]^ces  that  attend  fo  long 
a  journey^  are  great  obftacles  in  their 
yay,  and  will  ever  prevent  a ,  direft 
and  regular  qommunication  between 
the  Englifli  and  them.     ' 

Soon  aft^r  they  left  the  coppey 
niine,  ^  thic^  fpgt  with  rain,  and  at 
intervals,  heavy;  fhQwers  of  foow,  came 
on.  This  kiftd  of  weather  continued 
for  fome  days,  ^n«d  rendered  t|iar  pro- 
grefs  very  flow  and  unpleafanjt.     : 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  2  2d  of 
July,  they  were  qvertaken  by  Maton- 
abbee's  brother  and  a  Copp^  Indian. 
They  had  vifited  the  Copper  River, 
but  met  with  no  remarkable  incident ; 
and  ohferving  fignals,  which  had  bieen 
Uft  fbk-  their  return,  thev  had  tratVpl^ 
|ai  one  hundred  niileij  li^thdiit '  Wp- 
jaflg.  The  ^hdle  patty  impj?4iately 


fet  ou 
wards 
Th« 
fultry 
delay 
fuch  ] 
the  2 
whac 

left? 
foun( 

and  ' 
O 
ward 
med 
whe 
agai 
the 
befd 
the 
Th| 
ear 
car 
Go 


pe 
ha 


Kearneys  Journey. 


65 


fet  out,  and  proceeded  homewards  up- 
wards of  forty  miles  that  day. 

The  weather  now  became  hot  and 
fultry ;  but  this  did  not  occafion  any 
delay  in  their  march ;  and  they  made 
fuch  good  ufe  of  their  time,  that,  on 
the  24th,  they  reached  Congecatha- 
whachaga,  where  the  women  had  been 
left ;  but,  to  their  mortification,  they 
found  that  they  had  croffed  the  river, 
and  were  gone  on. 

Obferving  a  great  fmoke  to  the  fouth- 
ward,  Mr.  Hearne  and  his  party  i||i'- 
mediately  proceeded  towards  it,  and 
when  they  reached  the  place,  they 
again  were  difappointed ;  for  though 
the  women  had  been  there  a  few  daysv 
before,  they  had  left  it,  and  fet  fire  to 
the  mofs,  which  was  ftill  burning. 
Their  track,  however,  was  vifible,  and 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  they 
came  up  with  them,  by  the  fide  of 
Gogead  Lake. 

From  the  time  they  had  left  the  Cop- 
per-Mine River,  they  had  travelled  fo 
hard  and   with  fo    little  intermiilion^ 

¥  2    •  - 


66 


Hearne'^s  Journey. 


i.*i«-^ 


that  Mr.  Hearne's  feet  and  legs  were 
confiderably  fwelled,  and  his  ankles 
were  become  quite  ftifF.  The  nails  of 
his  toes  were  likewife  fo  much  injured, 
tljat  fe vera!  of  them  dropped  off;  and 
before  he  caine  up  to  the  tents  of  the 
women,  ahagft  every  Itep  was  printed 
-in  hlbod.  Even  the  natives  began  to 
complain ;  but  none  of  them  were 
nearly  fo  bad  as  he  was.- 

As  foon  as  he  arrived  at  the  women's 
encampment,  he  immediately  fet  about 
bgthing  and  cleaning  his  fee^ ;  and  by 
the  affiftance  of  a  common  drefling  and 
reft,  he  was  likely  in  a  (hort  time  to 
get  well.  Reft,  however,  fo  effential  to 
his  recovery,  was  not  to  be  procured  ; 
for,  fter  halting  a  day,  the  Indians 
refumed  their  march,  and  he  was  oblig- 
ed to  follow  t|iem. 

On  the  31ft  they  reached  the  fpot 
where  the  greateft  number  of  the  wo- 
men, and  all  the  children  were  to  wait 
their  return.  Here  thev  found  feveral 
Indian  tents;  but  none  of  Matonab- 
\^t%piny  had  arrived.  However,  a 
fmoke  being  feento  the  eaft ward,  two 


Hearne's  Journey^ 


67 


young  men  were  fent  in  queft  of  them ; 
and  on  the  5th  of  Aiiguft,  they  all 
joined,  with  a  number  of  other  Indi- 
ans, fo  that  they  nov/  filled  forty  tents. 
Here  the  former  hufband  of  one  of 
Matonabbee's  wives,  who  had  eloped, 
brought  her  back  again ;  but  the  chief 
had  the  magnanimity  to  take  no  notice 
of  her,  and  bade  her  depart;  obferv- 
ing  that  if  flie  had  refpefted  him  as 
fhe  ought,  (he  would  not  have  left  him, 
and  therefore  flie  was  free  to  go  where 
fhe  pleafed.  The  womaii  affefted  con- 
cern#and  reluftance,  though  moft  af- 
furedly  it  was  not  fincere.  She  return- 
ed to  her  hufband^s  tent,  and  probably 
both  were  happy. 

Several  of  the  Indians  being  indif- 
pofed,  the  conjurers,  who  are  always 
the  doftors,  began  to  try  their  fkill  to 
efFeft  their  recovery.  No  medicine, 
feve  charms,  is  ufedfor  any  complaint, 
whether  external  ot  internal.  In  ordi- 
nary cafes,  fucking  the  difeafed  part, 
blowing,  and  finging  to  it,  fpitting, 
and  uttering  much  unintelligible  jv? 
gon,  compofe  the  procefs  of  the  cure* 


*;.' 


o 


68  Hearne's  Journey. 

For  complaints  in  the  bowels,  it  is 
common  to  fee  thole  jugglers  blowing 
up  the  anus  till  their  eyes  are  almolt 
ready  to  ftart  from  their  fockets ;  and 
this  operation  is  performed  without  re- 
gard to  age  or  fex.  The, accumulation 
of  fo  large  a  quantity  of  wind  is  apt, 
at  times,  to  occafion  fome  extraordi- 
nary emotions  in  the  patient ;  and  it  is 
a  laughable  fcene,^  in  fuch  cafes,  to  fee 
the  doftor  and  the  fick  perfon ;  the 
one  blowing  up  wind,  and  the  other 
eafing  nature,  perhaps  at  one  and  the 
fame' inoment.  « 

When  a  friend,  for  whom  they  have 
a  particular  regard,  is  fufpofed  to  be 
dangeroufly  ill,  they  occafionally  have 
recourfe  to  another  very  extraordinary 
piece  ot  fuperftition,  namely  fwallow- 
ing  hatchets,  knives,  or  thp  like. 

On  thefe  occafions  a  conjuring  houfe 
is  erefted,  by  driving  the  ends  of  four 
fmall  poles  into  the  ground,  the  tops 
of  which  are  tied  together,  and  then 
covered  with  a  tent  cloth,  with  a  little 
aperti^re  at  top  to  admit  the  light.  In 
the  middle  of  this  tent,  the  patient  is 


Hearne's  Journey,  69 

laid  J  and  fometimes  five  or  fix  conjur- 
ers, quite  naked,  enter;  and  feciirlng 
the  door,  kneel  round  the  fick,  and 
)),egin  to  ii|ck  and  blow  the  part  affeftr 
ed.  After  #  ihqrt  procels  of  this  kind, 
they  (ing  and  talk  as  if  converfing  with 
familiar  fpirits,  which  they  pretend  ac- 
tually appear  to ^thein  in  the  form  of 
b^afts,  Qrj,)?irds  of  prey.  .       : 

Halving  finiflied  this  ideal  confer- 
ence, they  call  for  the  hatchet,  bayo^ 
net,  or  the  like,  which  is  always  pre^ 
pared  by  another  perfon,  and  has  a 
firing  fattened  te  one  end,  to  af]|[]^iiit 
drawing  it  up  again,  after  they  have 
fwallowed  it ;  for  they  do  not  pretend 
to  be  able  to  digefl,  or  pafs  it.  ^    . 

Our  author  now  faw  an  experiment 
of  this  kind.  A  man  being  dangerouf- 
ly  ill,  and  fome  extraordinay  experi- 
ments bmg  judged  necefTary^  one  of . 
the  conjurers  confented  to  fwallow  a 
broad  bayonet.  The  houfe  was  erect- 
ed as  befor^.  inentioned,  the  invocati- 
ons took  plac^  1 1^^  bayonet  being 
calle4  for,  it  difappeared  in  the  twink^^ 
ling  of  an  eye.  Mr.  Hearne  fays,  hfis 


^rmj^. 


ir5P^«^f?FT?1«^^TP57T^ 


!'|.,  *   iJH 'I  I  ,  I  in«jj|l{  III  ..ji|im»^i^p^^f^f|i|ip 


70  Hearn^'s  JourneJ^, 

not  credulous  enough  to  fuppofe  that 
the  juggler  aflually  fwallowed  it;  but 
he  confeflT^s,  he  could  fee  nothing  but 
the  fniall  piece  of  wood  at  the  end 
of  the  firing,  or  one  limilar  to  it,  be- 
tween hisHeeth.  v; 

The  juggler  then  paraded  backward 
and  forward  for  a  fliort  time,  when  he 
feigned  to  be  greatly  difbrdered  in  his 
ftoniach  and  bowels ;  apd  after  many 
wry  fac^s  and  hideous  groans,  by  the 
help  of  the  ftiing  and  Tome  tugging, 
he  at  length  produced  the  bayonet^ 
appj^^ntly  (irom  his  mouth,  to  the  lib 
fmail  furprife  of  the  fpeftators.  H^ 
then  looked  round  with  an  air  of  exul- 
tation, and  f etiring  into  the  conjuring 
hottfe,  renewed  Ms  incantations,  which 
he  continued  without  intermiffion   fbr 

the  fpace  of  twenty-four  hotrH\ 

Our  author  admits  h-e  vv^s  hct^abk 
to  detefl:  the  deception,  ftior^ 'particu- 
larly as  it  was'  performed  by  at  nak^d 
man  ;  and  the  natives  thfemfelves  feem- 
ed  to  exult  at  this  tiumph,  as  ^thfey 
fitppofed  it,  over  his  fivrmer  itiiredixlU 
tji  The  fick  man  foon  recovered)  and 


I  Hearne's  Journey,'  71 

in  a  few  days  they  proceeded  to  the 
fouth-vveft ;  while  the  greaiteft  part  of 
the  ftranger  Indians  left  them. 

On  the  19th,  they  reached  the  fide 
of  Large  Whiter  Stone  Lake,  which  is 
j^bout  forty  miles  long.  This  is  iup^ 
pofed  by  icHne  to  be  ,  the  fource  ot  the 
Copper-Mine  River ;  a  circumftance 
which  Mr.  Hearne  can  neither  verify 
nor  contradift.     ' 

They  found  deer  plentiful  the  whole 
way  ;  and  rfiany  were  killed  fji  the 
fak(?  ot  their  (kins  only.  Tl  e  great 
deftru(ftion  which  is  annually  madq  a- 
mong  thefe  animals  is  almoft  incredi- 
ble; yet  there  appears  no  diminution 
of  their  numbers ;  but  in  fome  places, 
they  are  even  laid  to  be  more  plenti- 
ful than  formerly. 
•  It  requires  the  prime  part  of  eight 
or  ten  deer  ikins,  to  make  a  complete 
fuit  of  clothes  for  a  grown  perfon, 
during  winter  ;  and  all  muft  be  pro- 
cured in  |he  month  of  Augurt,  or  ear- 
ly in  September,  elfe  the  hair  will  drop 
off  with  thp^fiighteft  injury* 


71  '  Hearne's  Journey. 

Befides  the  Ikins  with  the  hair  on, 
each  perfonvwants  fevefal  others  to  be 
dreffed  in  leather,  for  ftotkings,  (hoes, 
and  light  fummet  .d6thing.  Several 
mote  are  aHo  employedin  a  parchment 
ftate  to  make  thongs,  or  netting,  for 
v?irious  purpoCes ;  fo  that  each  indivi- 
dual expends,  in  the  coutfe  of  a  year, 
upwards  of  twenty  deer  fkins,  in  cloth- 
ing and  other  domeftic  ufes,  ^^xclufive 
of  tent  clothes  and  bags. 

Indeed,  during  wimer,  the  fpare 
fkins  produce  a  number  of  warbles^ 
which  the  natives  pick  but  arid  eat  as 
common  fpod.  Soriid  of  them  are  as 
large  as  the  joint  of  a  finger ;  and  the 
childrjen,  in  particular,  are  very  fond 
of  them.  Mr,  Hearne  feys,^  that,  ex- 
cept thefe  warbles  and  body  lice,  he 
has  tailed  0f  every  difh  in  ufeairiong 
the  native^;  but  though  he  did  not 
pretend  to  be  over  delicate,  he  never 
could  bring  himfelf  to  eat  them. 

The  deer  in  thofe  regions,  are  in- 
deed generally  in  motion  from  eaft  to 
weft^  pr  from  wtk  to  eif^- according 
to  the  feafon,  and  the  prevailing  winds. 


1S' 


Hearne  s  Journey,      . '      73  ' 

This  IS  the  principal  reafon  why  the 
northern  Indians  are  always  fliifting 
their  (tations ;  for  as  deer  are  their 
chief  food,  and  their  fldns  are  indif- 
penfablcj  it  is  inipoliible  fornhem  to 
exill  long  at  a  diftance  from  their 
game. 

After  leaving  Stone  V/hite  Lake, 
they  proceeded  to  the  fouth-welt,  at 
the  rate  of  about  twelve  miles  a  day ; 
and,  on  the  3d  of  September,  arrived 
at  a  fmall  river  connected  with  Point 
Lake.  Llere  the  weather  was  fo  boifter- 
ous,  that  it  was  fome  days  before  they 
could  venture  to  crofs  it  in  their  ca- 
noes ;  but  the  time  of  the  Indians  was 
not  loft  by  this  interruption,  as  they 
killed  numbers  of  deer,  as  well  for 
their  fkins  as  their  flefli. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  yth,  they 
pafTed  the  river,  and  fhaped  their  courfe 
by  the  fide  of  Point  Lake  to  the  north- 
weft.  After  three  days  eafy  journeys, 
they  came  to  a  fcrutiby  wood,  which 
was  the  firft  of  any  ntagnitude  they  had 
feerl  for  upw^ards  of  thr^e  months. 

G 


74  Hearne's  Journey. 

One  of  the  Indian  women,  who  had 
been  fome  time  in  a  lingering  ftate, 
was  now  become  &>  weak  as  to  be  inca- 
pable o^^travelling,  which,  amon^  thofe 
people  is  the  moft  deplorable  fituation 
to  which  a  human  being  can  be  reduc- 
ed. No  expedients  were  tried  for  her 
recovery,  whether  for  want  of  friends, 
or  from  the  fuppoftd  inability  of  it,  is 
,  unknown  ;  and  fhe  was  inhumanly  left, 
unaffifted,  to  her  fate. 

This,  it  appears,  is  a  common  prac- 
l:cf^,  (hocking  as  it  is  ;'  and  they  juftify 
It  by  fj^ying,  that  it  is  better  to  leave 
otic  who  is  paft  recovery,  than  for  the 
whole  family  to  fit  down  and  ftarve  in 
the  fame  place.  On  fuch  occafions, 
however,  the  friends,  or  the  relations 
of  the  fick,  generally  leave  fome  vic- 
tuals and  water,  and  often  a  little  fir- 
ing, with  plenty  of  deer  ikins.  They 
then  walk  away  crying,  without  men- 
tioning the  road  they  mean  to  purfue. 

Inftances  have  pccurred  of  fuch  de- 
ferted  perfons  recovering,  and  regain- 
ing their  friends.  /The  po6r  womin, 
juft  mentioned,  thrice  came  up  to  th 


e 


* 


Hearne's  Journey.  75 

party ;  but  at  lafi:  her  ftrencrth  totally 
failed  her — Oie  dropped  behind,  aij;d 
was  noticed  n-o  more. 

A  cuftorn  fo  unnatural  is  not  often 
found  among  the  human  race ;  but 
the  northern  Indians  are  certainly  not 
the  only  favages  in  this  refpecl ;  and 
they  have  a  better  excufe,  from  the 
neceflity  they  are  under  to  be  adive 
during  the  favourable  feafon,  than  any 
other  people  who  are  guilty  of  this  vi- 
olation of  all  focial  feeling. 

The  early  part  of  September  gave  in- 
dications that  winter  was  approaching  ;j 
and  being  now  got  among  the  woods, 
the  Indians  pu4*pofed  halting  for  fome 
time,  to  drels^ their  (kins  for  winter 
clothing,  *and  to  furnifli  themfelves 
with  tent  poles,  fnow  fhoes,  and  tem*- 
porary  fledges.  /  ^ 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  month, 
the  weather  became  more  mild  and  o-- 
pen,  and  continued To  for  feveral  days; 
but  they  had  almoft  inceflTant  rain.  On 
the  28th,  the  wind  fliifted  to  the  north- 
weft,  and  blew  fo  ,cold,  that  in  two 
days  all  the  lakes  and  (landing  waters 


4P- 


p 


'^^6  Hcarne^s  Journey. 

'Were  frozen  over,  hard  enough  to  bear 
them  without  danger. 

Otlober  commenced  with  heavy  falls 
of  fnow  and  much  drift.  On  the  6th5 
the  wind  blew  with  fo  much  violence 
as  to  overfet  ieveral  of  the  tents,  and 
among  the  reft,  that  in  which  Mr. 
Hearnei  lodged.  By  this  misfortune, 
his  quadrant,  though  well  fecured,  was 
fo  much  damaged  as  to  be  entirely  ufe- 
lefs ;  and  he,  therefore,  divided  its 
fragments  among  the  Inaians. 

On  the  23d,  feveral  Copper  and 
Dog-ribbed  Indians  arrived  at  the 
tents,  as  it  appeared,  by  previous  ap* 
pointment,  and  fold  their  furs  for  fuch 
articles  of  iron  as  the  rferthern  Indians 
had  in  their  polTeflion.  One  of  the  In- 
dians in  Mr.  Hearne^s  parry,  got  forty 
beavers'  fkins,  and  fixty  martins',  for 
a  fingle  piece  of  iron,  which  he  had 
found  means  to  purloin  the  laft  time 
;he  vifited  the  fort. 

One  of  the  ftrangers  brought  forty 
beaver  fkins,  with  which  he  intended 
to  pay  Matonabbee  an  old  debt ;  but 
one  of  the  other  Indians    feized    the 


Hearne's  Journey,  j^7 

whole,  notwithftanding  he  knew  for 
whom  they  were  .defigned  ;  and  this 
irritated  the  chief  fo  much,  that  he 
renewed  his  refolution  of  retiring  to 
tiieAthapufco  Indians.  Our  author  did 
not  now  much  interfere  in  his  deter- 
mination, though  he  told  him  that  he 
thought  fuch  behaviour  uncivil,  e!pe- 
cially  in  a  man  of  his  rank  and  digni- 
ty ;  but  he  discovered  afterwards,  that 
they  all  intended  to  take  a  liuutiaorex- 
pedition  into  that  country,  for  the  fake 
ot  the  moofe  and  the  beaver,  which 
are  either  very  fcarce,  or  never  feen  in 
the  northern  Indian  territories. 

Indeed,  except  a  few  martins, 
wolves,  quick^iatches,  foxes,  and  ot- 
ters, are  the  chief  furs  to  be  met  with 
in  thofe  parts  ;.  and,  out  of  fome  fu- 
perftitious  notion,  few  of  the  northern 
Indians  chufe  to  kill  either  the  wolf  or 
the  quick-hatch,  which  they  fuppofe 
to  be  more  than  common  animals. 

By  the  end  of  Oftober,  all  their 
clothes  and  winter  implements, were 
ready,  and  they  once   more  began  to 


.<' 


78  Hearne's  Journey. 

tnove.  From  the  ift  to  the  5th  of  No- 
vember they  walked  oyer  the  ice  of  a 
large  lake,  which  as  it  had  no  appella- 
tion before,  our  author  called  No  Name 
Lake.  This  fheet  of  water,  or  rather 
of  ice,  as  it  then  was,  is  about  fifty 
miles  long  and  thirty-five  broad.  It 
is  faid  to  abound  with  fine  fifh  ;  and  in 
the  ftateit  then  was,  the  Indians  caught 
fome  fine  trout  and  perch. 

Having  paffed  this  lake,  they  fhaped 
their  courfc  to  the  fouth-wert,  and  011 
the  loth  reached  the  commencement 
of  the  main  woods,  when  they  prepar- 
ed their  proper  fledges,  and  proceeded 
again  to  the  fouth-weft.  No  game  was 
killed  for  fome  time,  ef  cept  a  few  par- 
tridges ;  however,  they  had  by  no 
means  exhaufted  their  flock  of  provi- 
sions. 

4^fter  palling  Methy  Lake,  and  walk- 
ing  near  eighty  miles  on  a  fmall  river 
that  iflues  from  it,  on  the  20th  they 
reached  Indian  Lake.  This  piece  of 
watqr,  though  not  more  than  twenty 
iinles  oVer,  is  celebrated  for  producing 
plenty  of  fine  fifh  even  in  winter  j  and 


'-%^- 


Hearne's  Journey. 


79 


accordingly  the  Indians  fet  their  nets 
with  fiich  fuccefs,  that  in  ^  about  ten 
days  they  laded  the  women's  fledges 
with  roes  only.  Tittimeg,  barbel,  and 
pike  were  the  only  fifh  they  caught 
here.  Two  pounds  wdght  of  roes, 
well  bruifed,  will  make  four  gallons 
of  excellent  foup,  very  pleafant  to  the 
eye,  as  well  as  the  palate. 

The  land  round  this  lake  is  very  hil- 
ly, and  confifl:s  chiefly  of  loofe  fl:ones 
and  rocks.  However,  there  are  fofne 
parts  well  clothed  with  poplars^  pines, 
fir,  and  birch.  Rabbits  were  fo  plenti- 
ful here,  that  feveral  of  the  Indians' 
caught  twenty  or  thirty  in  a  night  with 
fnares ;  and  wood  partridges  were  no 
lefs  numerous  in  the  trees.  The  flefli  • 
of  the  latter  is  generally  black- and  bit- 
ter, from  their  feeding  on  the  brufti  of 
the  fir  tree. 

During  their  fl:ay  at  Indian  Lakp,  a 
man  being  entirely  palfied  on  one  fide, 
the  deftors,  or  rather  conjurers,  fet 
about  curing  him  j^  andtheperfon  who 
h^d  fwallowed^^ii  biyonet  in  the  fum. 
mer,  now  offerel^  ta  fwallow  a  piece  of 


mpM',''-.  ■  ^-'rtwr  '"^  '"■:/ !M«'n*'. 


'"T')"-'!''"'*!.  '!■'•■  '!.!'f'*.'w,?' -';»'^'W"  ^'y^.ir'i " 


So  Hearne's  Journey, 

llpard,  as  large  as  a  barrel  ftave,  for 
his  recovery. 

After  the  ufual  preparatory  ceremo- 
nies, the  board  was  delivered  to  the 
conjurer,  who  apparently  flioved  one- 
third  of  ^it  dov/n  his  throat,  and  then 
walked  round  the  company,  continu- 
ing to  fwallow  it,  till  no  part  was  vifi- 
ble,  except  a  fmall  piece  of  the  end. 

As  our  author  had  doubted  the  fpr- 
mer  trial  of  his  fkill,  the  Indians 'to 
cure  his  unbelief,  gave  him  the  mod 
favourable  ftation  for  feeing  the  exploit 
performed  ;  but  rtill,  though  he  could 
not  be  convinced  of  what  was  in  itfelf 
impoflible,  he  was  unable  to  detect  the 
impofition.    - 

Soon  after,  being  queftioned  as  to 
his  opinion  of  the  performance j  as  he 
was  unwilling  to  offend  by  owning  his 
fentiments  that  it  was  a  juggle,  he  on- 
ly hinted  at  the  impoffibility  .of  fwal- 
lowing  a  piece  of  vvmd  longer  than 
the  man's  whole  |)ack,  and  twice  as 
wide  as  his  mouth.  On  this  fome  of 
them  laughed  at  hiiii  far  his  ignorance  : 
and  faid,  that  the  fpirits   in    waiting 


Hearne's  Journey.     ^        8^1 

fwallowed,  or  otherwife  conveyed  ij§- 
way,  the  ftick,  and  only  left  the  fork- 
ed end  apparently  flicking  out  of  the 
conjurer's  mouth.  Matonabbee,  tho'  a 
man  of  fcnfe  and  obfervation,  was  io 
bigotted  to  the  ,reality  of  thofe  feats, 
that  he  aflured  Mr,  Hearne  he  had  feen 
a  man  fwallow  a  childN  cradle  with  as 
much  eafe  as  he  could  fold  up  a  piece 
of  paper  and  put  it  in  his  mouth. 

Though  they  pretend  that  the  whole 
is  done  by  the  intervention  of  fpirits, 
and  that  each  conjurer  has  his  familiar 
to  affift  him,  who  appears  in  various 
forms,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the 
deception  ;  but  ftill  it  is  admirably  per^ 
formed. 

As  foon  as  the  conjurer  had  finifhed 
the  fvvallowing  remedy,  five  other  men 
and  an  old  woman,  all  proficients  in 
the  art,  ftripped  quite  naked,  and  en- 
tered with  him  into  the  conjuring  houfe, 
where  they  began  to  fuck,  blow,  fing, 
and  dance  round  the  poor  paralytic  ; 
and  continued  this  farce  for  three  days 
and  as  many  nights,  without  intermif- 
fion,  or  taking  the  lead   refrelhment. 


.     ,v'.M 


82  Hearne's  journey. 

I^At  laft,  when  they  came  out,  their 
mouths  were  quite  parchjed  and  black, 
arid  they  were  not  able  to  articulate  a 
fingle  fyllable.  They  laid  themfelves  on 
their  backs  with  their  eyes  fixed,  as  if 
in  the  agonies  of  death ;  and  for  the 
firrt  day  were  treated  like  young  chil- 
dren, by  being  fed  by  hand. 

The  paralytic,  however,  had  not  on- 
ly recovered  his  appetite,  but  was  able 
to  move  all  the  fingers  and  toes  of  the 
0de  that  had  been  fo  long  dead.  In 
three  weeks  he  could  walk ;  and  at  the 
end  of  fix  went  a  hunting  for  his  fa- 
mily. After  that  he  accompstnied  Mr. 
Hearne  to  the  fort,  and  frequently  vi- 
.  fited  the  faftory  during  the  following 
years.  But  his  nature  feemed  quite 
changed  ;  for  from  being  lively,  bene- 
volent, and  good-natured,  he  became 
penfive,  quarreliome,  and  difcontent- 
ed  ;  and  never  recovered  the  look  of 
health. 

Though  the' reality  of  the  deception 
performed  by  the  Indian  conjurers.mufl 
be  unqueftionable,  the  apparent  good 
effefls  of  their  charms  on  the  fick  and 


wmmm 


m^mm 


^?pi^ 


Hearne's  Journey. 

difeafed,  can  only  be  accounted  for  qnM 
the  principle  of  faith  in  the   patient, 
which  lets  the  mind  at  eafe,  ancf.in- 
fpires  hope^  fo  effential  to  the  well-be- 
ing of  mam 

As  a  proof  of  the  implicit  confidence 
which  is  placed  in'  the  fupernatural 
powers  of  thefe  jugglers,  even  the 
threat  of  revenge  on  any  perfon  that 
has  offended  them  is  often  fatal.  The 
very  idea  that  the  conjurer  poflefles  the 
means  of  deftrudion,  preys  on  the  fpi- 
rits  of  the  unhappy  victims  of  his J^ 
will,  and  foon  brings  on  a  difordef 
that  terminates  his  exiftence.  A  whole, 
{amily  has  Ibme  times  funk  into  the; 
grave,  merely  from  the  fancied  dread 
of  a  conjurer's  refentment. 

Mr.  Ilearne  fays,  the  natives  always 
thought  him  poflefled  of  this  art;  and, 
accordingly,  he  was  once  folicited  to 
kill  a  man,  who  had  offended  a  chief, 
and  who^was  then  feveral  hundred  miles 
oif.  Topleafe  his  friend,  he  drewfome 
rude  figures  on  a  bit  of  paper,  and  gave 
it  to  the  Indian,  who  willied  for  the 
dellruftion  of  his  enemy.    But   what 


ww^ 


•V.f 


IJI"  '.«"«» I<fl". 


'S4  Hearne's  Journey* 

%was  our  author^s  furprife  to  hear  the 
.  rilxt  year,  that  the  man,  who  was  then 
in  [fcrfefl:  health,  being  acquainted  with 
His  ^efign  againft  him,  alnigft  immedi- 
ately fickened,  and  died,  lie  \yas  fre- 
quently afterwards  importuned  to  exe- 
cute revenge  on  others  ;  but  having 
once  eftabliflied  his  charafter  by  this 
fatal  inftance  of  Indian  credulity,  he 
never  complied,  in  future,  with  fueh 
requcfts.  However,  this  gained  him 
credit  with  the  natives,  and  ferved  to 
keep  them  in  awe,  when  he  w^as  after- 
wards chief  of  the  fort. 

They  left  Indian  Lake  on  the  ift  of 
December,  and  direfting  their  courfe 
to  the  fouthward,  they  arrived  on  the 
north  fide  of  the  great  Athapufco  Lake, 
on  the  24th.  In  their  way  they  faw  ma- 
ny deer  and  beaver,  plenty  of  which 
the  Indians  killed.  The  days  now  were 
fo  fliort,  that  the  fun  only  took  a  circuit 
of  a  few  points  of  the  compafs  above 
the  horizon  ;  but  the  brilliancy  of  the 
aurora  boreaiis  and  the  ftars,  even  with- 
out the  affiftance  of  the  moon,  made 
fome  amends  for  that  deficiency,  and 


15V  :"" 


Hearne's  Journey. 

were  fufiicient  to  enable  them  to  hunl 
the  beaver,  though  not  the  deer  or 
moofe. 

In  the  high  northern  latitudes,  eve- 
ry variation  of  the  colour  or  pofition 
of  the  aurora  borealis  is  attended  with 
a  ruftling  and  crackling  noife,  like  the 
waving  of  a  large  flag  in  a  frefh  gale  of 
wind*  As  this  phenomenon  is  folved 
on- the  principle  of  eledricity,  it  is" 
fufficient  to  iiotice  it,  to  make  it  in- 
telligible to  the  fcientific. 

Indian  deer,  as  they  are  called,  the 
only  fpecies  found  in  thefe  parts,  ex^- 
cept  the  moofe,  are  vaftly  larger  than 
thofe  which  frequent  the  barren 
grounds  in  the  territories  of  the  north- 
ern Indians.  Their  hair  is  of  a  fandy 
red  qolour  during  winter  ;  their  horns, 
though  ftronger,  are  lefs  branching 
than  the  other  kind;  and  their  flefh 
is  mure  coarfe,  but  ftill  excellent  food. 

The  beaver,  however,  was  here  the 
grand  objed  of  the  Indians'  attention, 
bot-i  on  account  of  its  flefli  and  fur. 
Much  as  Europeans  have  heard  about 

H  ^ 


^ .,  (i 


■■*■% 


*6  Hearne*s  Journeyt 

this  animal,  which  according  to  fonife, 
is  almoft  a  rational  being,  Mr.  Hearne 
has  fet  the  public  right  in  various  par- 
ticulars refpedling  it ;  and  detefted  the 
ignorance,  or  intentional  falfity,  of  o- 
^her  writers  on  this  fubjeft,  in  numer- 
ous inftances.  > 

He  fays,  the  fituation  of  the  beaver 
houfes  is  various.  Where  thefe  animals 
are  very  plentiful,  they  are  found  to 
inhabit  lakes,  ponds,  and  rivers,  as 
well  as  the  narrow  creeks  which  con- 
neft  the  lakes.  In  general,  however, 
they  prefer  the  rivers  and  creeks,  on 
account  of  the  advantage  of  the  cur- 
rent, to  float  the  materials  for  their  ha- 
bitations. 

Such  as  build  their  houfes  in  fmali 
rivers  and  creeks,  which  are  liable  to 
become  dry,  fhew  an  admirable  inflinc!: 
in  providing  againfl  this  calamity,  by 
throwing  a  dam  quite  acrofs  the  ttream; 
and  in  nothing  do  they  fliew  more  abi- 
lity and  forefight  than  in  this,  v/hate- 
ver  fagacity  fome  are  ready  to  allow 
them. 


HeaVnc^s  Journey.  87 

iefe  dams  are  conftruded  of  drift 
wood,  green  willows,  birch,  and  pop- 
lar^ mud  and  ftones,  or  whatevei;  ma- 
terials can  moft  readily  be  procured. 
Their  houfes  are  alfo  made  of  fnnilar 
arti(:les,  and  always  proportioned  in  fize 
to  |he  number  of  inhabitants,  which 
feldom  exceed  f(\ur  old,  and  fix  or 
eight  young  ones.  It  is  a  miftake,  how- 
ever, to  fay,  that  they  have  different 
apartments  for  their  neceffary  conveni- 
ences; all  that  the  beaver  feems  to  aim 
at,  i^  to  have  a  dry  place  to  lie  on. 

It,  indeed,  frequently  hj-ppens,  that 
forae  of  the  large  houfes  have  one  or 
more  partitions;  but  between  the  in- 
habitants of  thefe,  no  more  than  a  fo- 
cial  intercourfe  is  kept  up ;  nor  have 
they  any  common  communication  but 
by  water. 

The  accounts  we  read,  in  fome 
books,  refpefling  the  manner  in  which 
the  beavers  build  their  houfes  and 
dams,  Mr.  Hearne  affures  us,  are  mere 
fidions.  They  can  neither  r^rive  piles, 
wattle  their  buildings,  favv  trees,  nor 
life  their  tails  as  a  trowel.  Yet  their  fa- 


,-#■ 


A 


vl 


m 


-0) 


^& 


V^k 


88  Hearne's  Journey. 

gacity  is, not  fmall ;  and  they  perrorni 
all  that  can  be  expeftod  from  animals 
of  their  fize  and  ftrength. 

Their  work  is  entirely  executed  in 
the  night,  and  they  areTo  expeditions 
in  completing  it,  that  our  author  f$ys, 
he  has  frequently  been  aftonifhed  to-fee 
the  quantity  of  mud  they  had  colleft- 
ed  in  one  night,  or  the  progrefs  they 
had  made  in  a  daip  or  houfe. 

The  chief  food  is  a  root  refembling 
a  cabbage  ftalk,  which  grows  at  the 
bottom  of  lakes  and  rivers,  and  which 
is  acceffible  to  them  at  all  feafons.  They 
are  alfo  fond  of  che  bark  of  trees  dur- 
ing the  fummer,  and  fuch  kinds  of 
herbage  and  berries  as  the  vicinity  fup- 
plies. 

When  the  ice  breaks  up  in  the  fpring, 
the  beavers  quit  their  habitations,  and 
rove  about  during  the  fummer,  proba- 
bly in  queft  of  a  more  favourable  fitu- 
ation  ;  but  if  they  cannot  fuit  them- 
felves  better,  they  return  to  their  old 
habitations  foon  enough  to  lay  jn  their 
winter  ftock  of  woods. 


"'■'^-   "^1        '■;";"?» 


m 


Hearne's  Journey. 

Notwithftanding  what  has  been  re- 
peatedly reported,  in  regard  to  their 
forming  towns  and  commonwealths, 
Mr.  Hearne  fays  he  is  confident,  that 
even  where  the  greateft  number  of 
beavers  are  affembled  together,  their 
labours  are  not  carried  on  jointly,  nor 
have  they  any  mutuality  of  interefts, 
except  in  fupporting  the  dam,  which  is 
common  to  feveral  houies.  In  fuch  caf- 
es they  have,  no  doubt,  fagacity  enough 
to  fee  that  what  is  of  utility  to  all, 
(hould  be  repaired  by  the  labours  of 
each.  ^  . 

The  beaver  is  capable  of  keeping  a 
long  time  under  water ;  fo  that  when 
their  houfes  are  broken  up,  and  their 
retreats  cut  off,  they  generally  retire 
to  the  vaults  in  the  banks,  as  their  laft 
refource  ;  and  here  the  grestteft  number 
of  them  are  taken. 

In  winter  they  are  very  fat  and  deli- 
cious eating,  and  their  furs  are  very 
valuable;  but  in  fuiiimer,  during  the 
breeding  time,  and  when  they  are  rov- 
ing about,  neither  their  flefli  nor  their 

H  2  >   ^ 


I  ,;js*s'jaE''i^ 


mm 


Hearne's  Journey. 

ins  are  of  much  confequence.  They 
produce  from  two  to  five  young  at  a 
time ;  and  though  feveral  varieties  of 
them  are  mentioned,  it  is  moft  proba- 
ble, that  the  difference  of  feafon  alojie 
occafions  the  apparent  diftinftion.* 

The  beaver  is  a  remarkably  cleanly 
animal ;  and  is  capable  of  being,  in  a 
great  meafure  domefticated,  Mr. 
Hearne  kept  feveral  of  tbem,  that 
anfwered  to  their  names,  and  followed 
him  and  fondled  on  him  like  dogs. 
He  had  a  houfe  built  for  them,  and  a 
fmall  piece  of  water  before  the  door, 
into  which  they  always  plunged  when 
they  wanted  to  eafe  nature.  In  winter 
they  lived  on  the  common  food  of  the 
natives,  and  were  remarkably  fond  of 
rice  and  plum  pudding.  They  would 
even  eat  partridges  and  venifon  freely  ; 
and  were  the  conftant  attendants  on  the 
Indian  women  and  children,  for  whom 
they  fliewed  a  great  partiality,  and  were 
always  uneafy  in  their  abfence. 

*  LinnjEus  defcrlbes  three  fpecies  of  beavers, 
whkh  appear  to  be  dilllnd* 


^i^pppppp 


Hearne's  Journey.  9^ 

After  appropriating  feveral  days  \Aa 
hunting  beaver,  they  proceeded  acrols 
the  Aihapufco  Lake,  in  the  beginning 
of  January  1772,  and  arrived  on  the 
fouth  fide  of  it  on  the  9th.  From  the 
beft  information,  this  h\ke  appears  to 
be  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
leagues  long,  from  eaft  to  weft,  and 
twenty  wide,  from  north  to  fouth.  It 
is  full  of  iflands,  moft  of  which  are 
clothed  with  trees,  and  ftocked  with 
Indian  deer. 

This  lake  produces  vaft  quantities  of 
fifh,  fuch  as  pike,  trout,  perch,  barbel, 
tittameg,  and  methy  :  the  two  laft  fpe- 
cies  of  fiili  aie  peculiar  to  this  coun- 
try, and  the  fhees,  a  fifh  refembling  a 
pike,  to  this  lake  only. 

The  trout  here  weigh  commonly 
from  thirty-five  to  forty  pounds.  Pike 
are  alfo  of  an  incredible  fize. 

On  reaching  the  fouth  fide  of  this 
lake,  diey  found  the  fcene  very  agree- 
ably altered.  Inftead  of  an  entire  jum- 
ble of  rocks  and  hills,  they  entered  on 
a  fine  champaign  country,  where  fcarce* 
ly  a  ilone  was  to  be  feen. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


1.1 


tiit21    |Z5 
111  12,2    122 

m     JUi     HO 


u& 


iii  1^  U4 

^ 

6"     

^ 

c 


Sdeiices 
CoiporaliGn 


23  \WIST  MAIN  STMIT 

wnsTm,N.v.  I4SI0 

(71*)l7a-4S03 


6^ 


■5  * 


4^ 

02  Hcarne*3  Journey. 

.Buffalo,  moofe,  and  beaver  were 
very  abundant ;  and  in  many  places 
they  could  dilcovcr  the  tracks  of  mar- 
tins, foxes,  quickhatches,  and  other 
animals  of  the  fur  kind.  The  three 
former  animals,  however,  were  the 
fole  obje^s  of  the  Indians  purfuit,  per- 
haps principally  on  account  of  the  ex- 
cellency of  their  flefli. 

Tile  buffaloes  appear  much  largeiv 
than  the  Englifh  black  cattle,  particu- 
hirly  the  bulls.  Their  fldn  is  of  an  in- 
credible thicknefs,  particularly  about 
the  neck  ;  the  horns  are  black,  fhort, 
and  almoft  ftraight,  but  very  thick  at 
the  bafe.  The  tail  is  only  about  a  foot 
long  ;  and  the  hair  of  the  body  is  foft 
and  curled,  generally  of  a  fandy  brown 
colour. 

The  flefli  of  this  animal  is  entirely 
free  from  any  difagreeable  fmell  or  fla- 
vour, and  is  equal  to  the  fineft  beef. 
The  hunch  is  reckoned  a  very  delicate 
bit.  The  tongue  alfo  is  much  efteemed. 

The  moofe  deer  often  exceeds  the 
largcfi:  horfe,  both  in  height  and  bulk; 
but  the  length  of  the  legs,  the  fliort- 


IP 


Hearne's  Journey.  93 

nek  of  the  neck,  and  the  diTproporti- 
onate  fize  of  the  head  and  ears,  give 
them  a  very  awkward  appearance  ;  and 
prevent  them  from  grazing  on  level 
ground  like  other  animals.  In  fummer, 
they  brovvfe  on  the  tops  of  large  vege- 
tables, and  the  leaves  of  trees ;  and  in 
winter,  they  fubfirt  entirely  on  the 
fmall  branches  of  the  willow  and  birch 
trees.  ^         •     " 

They  are  the  moft  inoffenfive  of  all 
animals,  and  never  attempt  refifhince. 
It  is  nothing  unufual  for  an  Indian  to 
paddle  his  canoe  up  to  one  of  them, 
and  take  it  by  the  poll  without  oppo- 
fition.  They  are  eafily  earned  ;  and  Mr, 
Hearne  fays,  he  has  feen  fome  of  them 
that  vi^ould  follow  their  keeper,  and  I'm 
every  thing  obey  his  voice. 

The  flefh  of  the  moofe  is  good,  tho* 
rather  cot^rfer  and  tougher  than  other 
venilon.  The  nofe  and  tongue  are  pe- 
cuh'ar  delicacies.  All  the  external  fat 
is  foft,  and  when  put  into  a  bladder, 
is  as  fine  as  marrow. 

In  all  its  aftions  and  attitudes,  the 
moofe  appears  very  uncouth  j  its  gait  is 


*s-i 


I 


>"« 


fi^ 


94  Hearne's  Journey. 

fl|[mbling,  and  it  is  both  tender  footed 
and  fhort  winded.  The  fkin  makes  ex- 
cellent tent-covers  and  (hoe-leather,  and 
is  dreffed  for  various  other  purpofes. 

On  the  nth  of  January,  as  fome  of 
the  Indians  were  engaged  in  hunting, 
they  difcovered  the  track  of  a  Itrangc 
fnow  fhoe,  and  tracing  it,  they  came  to 
a  little  hut,  where  they  found  a  young 
woman  alone.  She  proved  to  be  one  of 
the  weftern  Dog-ribbed  Indians,  wh6 
had  been  taken  prifoner  by  thofe  of  A- 
thapufco,  in  the  fummer  of  1770,  and 
had  eloped  from  them  the  following 
feafon,  when  they  were  in  the  vicinity, 
with  an  intention  of  returning  to  her 
own  country  ;  but  the  diftance  being  fo 
great,  flie  had  forgot  the  track,  and  had 
therefore,  built  a  hut  for  her  protecti- 
on, in  which  (he  had  lived  about  feven 
moons,  without  feeing  a  human  face. 

During  this  time  (he  had  fupported 
herfelf  by  fnaring  partridges,  rabbits, 
and  fquirrels.  1  hat  (he  had  not  been 
in  want  was  evident  from  her  appear- 
ance, and  the  (lock  of  proyifions  (he 
had  flill  by  her.  Of  a  real  Indian,  (he 


)9 

:o 


Hearne's  Journey.  g*^ 

wais  one  of  the  finelt  women,  in  c^ur 
author's  opinion,  of  any  he  ever  faw. 

She  had  (hewn  infinite  ingenuity  in 
procuring  a  livelihood.  When  the  few 
deer  finews  (lie  had  carried  off  with 
her,  were  all  expended  in  making 
fnares,  and  fewing  her  clothes  ;  (he 
had  ufed  thofe  of  the  legs  of  rabbits 
with  much  dexterity  and  fuccefs.  Of 
the  (kins  of  thofe  animals,  (he  had 
likewife  made  herfelf  a  complete  and 
neat  fuit  of  winter  clothes  ;  and  it  was 
evident,  (he  had  extended  her  care  be- 
yond mere  comfort,  as  her  drefs  exhi- 
bited no  littJe  variety  of  ornament. 

her  leifure  hours  had  been  employ- 
ed in  twilling  the  inner  rind  of  willows 
into  fmall  lines,  of  which  (he  intended 
to  make  a  (ilhing  net.  Five  or  fix  in- 
ches of  an  iron  hoop  ferved  her  for  a 
knife,  and  this,  together  with  an  awl 
of  the  fame  metal,  were  all  the  imple- 
ments in  her  pofl'eliion.  She  Ught^^d  a 
fire  by  rubbing  two  hard  lulnhereous 
(tones  againfl:  each  other,  and  when  a 
few  fparks  were  produced,  (he  had 
touchwood  ready  to  receive  them. 


♦if6  Hearne's  Journey. 

The  conulinefs  of  her  perfon,  and 


IVct  approved  accomplifhments,  occafi- 
ed  a  (Irong  contcfl  among  the  party, 
who  (hould  have  her  to  wife ;  and  (he 
was  actually  won  and  loft  by  almoft  ten 
men  the  lame  evening.  Matonabbee, 
though  he  had  no  lefs  than  feven,  wo- 
men grown,  and  a  young  girl  about 
twelve  years  old,  wiflied  to  put  in  his 
claim  for  her:  but  one  of  his  wives 
fhanied  him  from  this,  by  obferving, 
that  he  had  women  enough  already. 
This  piece  of  fatire,  however  true  it 
might  be,  irritated  the  chief  fo  much, 
that  he  fell  upon  the  poor  creature, 
and  bruifed  her  fo  exceffively,  that  af- 
ter lingering  fome  time,  (he  efcaped 
from  his  tyranny  and  life. 

It  appeared  that  when  the  Athapuf- 
co  Indians  furpriled  the  friends  of  the 
young  woman,  they  had  butchered 
them  all,  except  herfeif  and  three  o- 
ther  women.  Among  the  viftims  of 
their  barbarity  were  her  father,  mo- 
ther, and  huiband.  She  had  a  child  a- 
bout  four  months  old,  which  fhe  con- 
cealed in  a  bundle  of  clothing,  and  car- 


Hearne's  Journey.  '   gy 

ried  with  her  ;  but  when  they  joined, 
the  Athapufco  women,  one  of  them 
fnatched  it  from  her,  and  killed  it  on 
the  fpot.  Her  new  hulband,  (he  faid, 
was  remarkably  fond  of  her,  and  kind 
to  her  ;  but  this  piece  of  barbarity  fhe 
could  never  forget,  and  took  the  firft 
opportunity  of  eloping  from  the  mur- 
derers of  her  infant.  AfFedting  as  this 
ftory  was,  and  told  at  the  fame  time 
with  correfpondent  feeling,  Mr.  Hearne 
fays,  his  party  only  laughed  at  it,  and 
turned  it  into  ridicule. 

Continuing  their  courfe  to  the  fouth- 
weft,  on  the  i6th  they  arrived  at  the 
Grand  Athapufco  River,  at  a  place 
where  it  was  about  tv/o  miles  vide. 
The  furrounding  woods  were  very  luxJ- 
uriant;  and  the  banks  of  the  river  were 
nearly  one  hundred  feet  above  the  ordi- 
nary level  of  the  water.  The  foil  was 
rich  and  loamy,  and  fome  of  the  pines 
that  grew  here,  were  large  enough  to 
make  mafts  for  fhips  of  the  firlt  rate. 
In  the  river  are  feveral  iflands,  much 
frequented  by  the  moofe  deer. 

I 


i 


f:^ 


bW? 


m 


I?      • 


I- 


it 


98  Hearne's  Journey. 

Agreeably  to  Matonabbee^s  propo- 
fal,  they  continued  their  march  up  this 
river  for  many  days,  in  hopes  of  falling 
in  with  fome  of  the  natives ;  but  the* 
they  favv  feveral  of  their  former  en- 
campments, they  did  not  difcover  one 
of  the  people.  Thus  disappointed  in 
their  expeftations,  it  was  refolved  to 
fpend  as  much  time  in  hunting  the 
moofe,  buftdlo,  and  beaver,  as  could 
be  allowed,  confident  with  their  pur- 
pofed  return  to  the  fort,  by  the  ufual 
period  of  the  fliips'  arrival  from  Eng- 
land. 

.  Accordingly,  on  the  27th  of  Janua- 
ry, they  dircfted  their  courfe  to  the 
eaitward ;  but  as  game  was  very  plen- 
tiful, they  made  frequent  halts. 

About  the  middle  of  February,  they 
walked. along  a  fmall  river,  which  emp- 
ties itfelf  into  Lake  Clowey,  where 
they  had  bifilt  their  canoes  the  year 
before.  On  the  24th,  they  were  joined 
by  a  northern  Indian  leader  and  his  fol- 
lowers, who  prefented  Matonabbee  and 
our  author,  with  fome  roll  tobacco  and 
about  two  quarts  of  brandy.    The  to- 


mgK 


Uearne's  Journey.  99 

bacco  was  very  acceptable,  as  their 
ftock  of  that  article  had  been  long  ex- 
pended. 

As  this  vicinity  abounded  in  game, 
many  days  werefpent  in  hunting,  feaft- 
ing,  and  preparing  fuch  a  quantity  of 
flelh,  as  might  ferve  them  far  forfie 
time ;  well  knowing,  from  experience, 
that  a  few  days  walk  farther  to  the 
eaftward,  would  deprive  them  of  the 
living  animals. 

lii(t  ftrangers  who  had  left  the  fort, 
about  November  1 77 1 ,  foon  proceeded 
on  their  journey  to  the  north-u  eftward, 
except  a  few  who  had  been  lucky  in 
hunting,  and  refolved  to  accompany 
them  back  to  the  faftory,  to  difpofe 
of  their  furs.  " 

On  the  lad  day  of  February,  they 
refumed  their  journey  ;  and  foon  after 
the  Indians  fell  in  with  a  party  of  poor 
inoffenfive  people,  whom  they  plunder- 
ed of  all  they  had,  and  even  carried 
off  fome  of  their  young  women.  Thefe 
repeated  afts  of  violent  and  unprovok- 
ed aggreflion,  ferved  to  increafe  our 
author's  indignation  ;  and  he  felt  very 


I 


II 


i 


100 


I 


Kearneys  Jourijey. 

fetifibly  for  this  in  particular,  as  it  was 
committed  on  a  fet  of  hannlefs  crea- 
tures, who  were  almofl:  fecluded  from 
all  other  human  fociety. 

It  appeared  that  for  upwards  of  a  ge- 
neration, one  family  only,  as  it  may  be 
called,  had  taken  up  their  winter  abode 
in  thoie  woods,-  which  are  fo  much  out 
of  the  ufuai  track  of  the  other  Indians, 
as  to  be  very  feldom  vifited  by  them. 
The  fituation,  however,  was  moft  fa- 
vourable for  game  of  every  kindj  at 
the  diu'erent  feafons ;  but  the  general 
dependence  was  on  fifh  and  partridges. 
Thele  advantages  had  tempted  this  (im- 
ple  race  to  take  up  their  abode  here ; 
feveral  hundred  miles  from  the  reft  of 
their  tribe. 

By  the  ift  of  March  they  began  to 
leave  the  level  country  of  the  Athapuf- 
cos,  and  to  approach  the  ftony  moun- 
tains, which  bound  the  northern  Indi- 
an country.  On  the  14th,  they  difco- 
vered  the  tracks  of  more  ftrangers,  and 
next  day  came  up  with  them.  Among 
them  was  a  perfon  who  had  carried  a 
letter  from  Mr,  Hearne  to  Prince  of 


^'m^m^gt^Bi 


Hearne's  Journey 


■^i 


iX)i  ♦ 


Wales  Fort,  about  a  year  before ;  and 
now  accidentally  met  him,  and  retuniid 
ananfvver,  dated  in  June  1771. 

Thefe  Indians  having  obtained  a  few 
fur^,  joined  their  party,  v\hich  now 
confifted  of  about  two  hundred  per- 
fons.  Our  author  found  great  reafon 
to  lament  the  lofs  of  his  quadrants,  as 
he  was  unable  to  afcertain  diftances  and 
filuations,  however  dcfirable  it  would 
have  been  both  for  curiofity  and  infor- 
mation, in  a  country  which  no  other 
European  ever  traverfed. 

On  the  19th,  they,  took  up  their 
lodgiiigs  near  Large  Pike  Lake,  which 
they  croffed  next  day,  where  it  was  not 
more  than  feven  miles  wide.  The  fub- 
fequent  day  they  pafled  Bedodid  Lake, 
which  is  about  forty  miles  long  and 
only  three  broad ;  fo  that  it  has  the 
appearance  of  a  river.  The  Indians  faid 
it  was  fliut  up  on  all  fides  by  high 
lands,  covered  with  pines  of  vaft  mag- 
nitude, compared  to  which,  tlie  Euro- 
pean firs  are  only  like  fruit  trees* 

I   2 


:¥  ■} 


'1  ■ 


.•?td 


Hearne's  Journey. 

je  thaws  now  commenced,  and 
ft^m  the  latter  end  of  March  to  the 
middle  of  April,  they  were  confidera- 
ble  about  noon ;  but  it  commonly 
froze  at  night,  and  walking  was  by  no 
means  pleafant.  The  moole  deer  now 
began  to  become  very  fcarce.  On  the 
1 2th  of  April,  they  faw  feveral  fwans 
flying  to  the  northward,  which  being 
birds  of  paflage,  were  confidered  as 
the  harbingfers  of  fpring. 

On  the  14th,  they  pitched  their  tents 
on  Theelee-aza^, River,  where  they 
found  fome  families  of  ftrange  north- 
ern Indians,  employed  in  fnaring  deer; 
and  fo  poor,  that  they  had  not  a  gun 
among  them.  The  villains,  however, 
in  our  author's  party,  fo  far  from  ad- 
miniftering  to  them  relief,  robbed  them 
of  every  ufeful  article,  and  abufed  fome 
of  their  young  women  in  a  manner 
too  fhocking  to  mention,  in  fpite  of 
all  the  remonftrances  he  could  make. 

Deer  being  plentiful  near  this  fpot, 
they  halted  here  ten  days,  in  order  to 
prepare  and  dry  a  quantity  of  the  flefh 
to  carry  with  them. 


Id 
le 

lO 

le 
ins 

as 

Its 


Hearne*8  Journey.  103 

The  thaw  now  was  fo  confiderable 
'  that  fome  bare  land  appeared  ;  and  the- 
ice  on  the  dreams  began  to  break  upf 

On  the  25th,  as  the  weather  was  ve- 
ry inviting,  they  again  fet  out ;  but  on 
the  ift  of  May,  a  heavy  fall  of  (now 
came  on,  attended  with  a  bitter  gale 
of  wind,  which  increafed  to  fuch  a  de- 
gree, that  they  were  incapable  of  (land- 
ing upright,  and  the  cold  was  extreme- 
ly piercing. 

The  fecond  proved  fine  with  warm 
funfhine ;  aud  having  dried  their  wet 
clothes,  they  proceeded  to  the  place 
where  it  was  intended  to  build  their 
canoes ;  but  in  confequence  of  a  dif- 
pute  between  Matonabbee  and  fome  of 
nis  countrymen,  he  determined  to  tra- 
vel farther  to  the  eaftward  before  they 
fet  about  this  neceffary  duty. 

for  fome  days  the  weather  was  hot 
pleafant.  On  the  6th,  they  fell  in 
with  fome  ftrange  Indians,  who  were 
proceeding  to  the  fadory  with  their 
furs ;  and  on  the  invitation  of  Maton- 
abbee, they  joined  company. 


1 


i'il 

•^1 


:.ioAfL         Hearnc's  Journey.    - 

fh      ■>*■ 

•ftef  a  reft  of  four  days,  it  v/as  a- 
^^v|cd  on  to  leave  the  elderly  people 
aftd  youn^  children  here,  in  the  care 
of  fonie  Indians,  till  the  return  of 
their  relations  from  the  fort.  Matters 
Deing  thus  fettled,  they  fet  out  on  the 
1  ith,  at  a  much  briiker  pace  than  be- 
fore ;  and  in  the  afternoon  of  the  fame 
day,  overtook  fome  more  Indians  laden 
with  furs. 

The  1 2th  was  fo  warm,  and  the  wa- 
ter fo  deep  on  the  top  of  the  ice,  as  to 
render  walking  on  it,  not  only  unplea- 
fant,  but  dangerous.  It  was,  therefore, 
found  neceflary  to  conftruft  their  ca- 
noes without  delay ;  and  this  bufmefs 
being  accomplifhed  by  the  i8th,  they 
proceeded  through  fwamps  of  mud, 
wate:*,  and  wet  fnow,  which  froze  to 
their  Itcckings  and  (hoes  in  fuch  large 
crufts,  as  to  render  travelling  very  la- 
borious, and  to  expofe  them  to  the 
danger  of  having  their  limbs  froft-bit- 
ten. 

The  weather,  on  the   21ft,  was  fo 
{harp,  that  the  fwamps  and  ponds  wer 
once  more  frozen  over  j  and  they  found 


Hearne's  Journey. 

it  tolerable  walking.    This  day  fevdH-ar 
Indians  turned  back  for  want  of  pro- 
vifions ;    which    now   began    ig    ruiif; 
fcarce,  and  no  new  fupplies   were  to 
be  found,  except  a  few  geefe. 

The  following  day  they  had  the  good 
fortune  to  kill  two  deer ;  but  the  party 
was  now  fo  large,,  that  four  of  the 
northern  deer  were  not  more  than  ade- 
quate to  a  fingle  meal. 

On  the  25th,  feveral  more  of  the 
Indians  abandoned  the  journey,  for  fear 
of  famine ;  and'as  they  travelled  hard 
for  fome  days,  all  heavy  laden,  and  in 
great  diftrefs  for  want  of  food,  fome  of 
them  became  too  weak  to  carry  their 
furs  any  farther,  and  many  others, 
being  deftitute  of  guns  and  ammuniti- 
on, were  no  longer  capable  of  bearing 
them  company. 

Mr.  Hearne,  indeed,  had  plenty  of 
both,  but  felf-prefervation  obliged  him 
to  referve  it  for  the  ufe  of  his  immediate 
attendants;  efpecially  as  geefe  and  other 
birds  were  the  only  game  they  had  to 
exped  till  they  reached  the  fort. 


i' 


v7?^;« 


,* 


vl* 


Ao§,  Hearne's  Journey. 

The  26th  was  fine  and  pleafant;  and 
pafter  walking  about  five  miles,  they  fell 
|p  with  and  killed  three  deer,  which, 
as  their  numbers  were  confiderably 
leffened,  ferved  them  for  two  or  three 
meals,  with  little  expence  of  ammuni- 
tion. 

They  crofled  Cathawhachaga  river 
on  the  30th  of  May,  on  the  ice,  which 
broke  up  foon  after  the  laft  party  left 
it.  Symptoms  of  bad  weather  now  ap- 
peared ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 
rain  defc<?nded  in  torrents,  and  obliged 
them,  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  to 
retire^  for  fecurity  to  the  top  of  an  adja- 
cti  t  liill,  where  the  violence  of  the 
wii  d  \\ould  not  permit  them  to  ereft 
their  tents.  In  this  dreary  fituation, 
they  remained  till  the  3d  of  June, 
wirht  ut  the  lead  refrefhmer.t ;  in  the 
courle  of  which  time  the  wind  fhifted 
all  round  the  compals,  and  they  chang- 
ed their  pofition  with  it. 

On  the  4ih,  the  dorm  abated;  and 

hunj^er  compelled    them    to   advance, 

wet  and  exhauUed  as  thev  were.     In 

the  courfe  of  that  day's  journey  they 

0 . 


Hearne's  Journey.  107 

killed  fome  geefe,  but  barely  fufficient 
to  keep  them  from  ftarving. 

Ou  the  Sih,  however,  they  were  for-, 
tunate  enough  to  kill  five  deer,  which 
put  them  all  in  high  fpirits ;  and  from 
the  numbers  they  law,  they  began  to 
Jndulge  the  hopes  that  more  plentiful 
times  awaited  them,  during  the  remain- 
der of  their  journey. 

On  the  9th,  as  they  were  continuing 
their  courle  in  the  diretlion  of  the  {ac- 
tory,    they    faw    feveral    fmokes,    and 
fpoke  with  different  parties  of  northern 
Indians;   but  anxious  to  get  on,  they 
did  not  lofe  much  time  in  converiation. 
'      For  many   days  after,    they    found 
plenty  of  provifions ;  and  as  the  wea- 
ther was  remarkably  fine  and  pleaiant, 
their  circumttances  were  valtly  altered 
'  for  the  better ;  and  they  almort  forgot 
their  former  lufferings.     I'he  thoughts 
too  of  approaciiing  the  fort  gave  them 
new  relolutioii,  ajid  nnoderate  tiiiEciil- 
ties  were  overlooked,  •% 

On  the  18th,  they  arrived  at  Egg 
River,  from  whence  Mr.  Hoarne  dif- 
patched  a  letter  to  th^^chiet  at  Fart 

,  ■  ■■■'  V  ^ 


i 


h 


io8  Hearne's  Journey.    < 

Prince  Wales,  to  inform  him  of  his 
being  fo  far  advanced.  Here  they  halted 
a  day  to  prepare  food  to  carry  with 
them. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th 
they  arrived  at  Seal  River ;  but  the 
wind  blew  fo  ftrong,  that  they  could 
not  venture  to  crofs  it  in  their  little  ca- 
noes, before  the  afternoon. 

On  the  28th,  as  they  were  crofling 
Po-co-thee-kis-co  River,  they  were 
joined  by  fome  Indians  from  Fort 
Churchill,  who  brought  them  a  little 
tobacco ;  and  next  morning  ihey  had 
the  fatisfaftion  to  arrive  fafe  at  Fort 
Prince  Wales,  after  an  abfence  of 
eighteen  months  and  twenty  days. 

**  Though  my  difcoveries"  fays  Mr, 
Heare,  "  are  likely  to  prote^any  mate- 
rial advantage  to  the  nation  at  large,  or, 
indeed,  to  the  Hudfon's  Bay  Comp?^y, 
^  yet  I  had  the  pleafure  to  think,  that  I 
nad  fully  executed  the  inftruftions  I 
received  ;  and  that  this  journey  has 
put  an  end  to  all  difputes  refpefting  a 
North-weft  Paflage  through  Hudfon's 
Bay.  It  will  alfo  wipe  off  the  ill-ground- 


agers   and  travellers,    thrown  on  the- 
Hudfbn's  Bay  Company^  as  being  stt^i-^^p 


'ii 


I' 


n 


Hearne's  Journey.  109 

ed  and  utijufl  afperfions  of  Come  Yoy- 

verfe  to  difcoveries  in  this  quarter****^ 
We  fliall  now  conclude  this  very  inte- 
refting  journey  with  fome  additional  re- 
marks on  the  northern  In^ans. 

In  their  perfons  they  are  generally 
above  the  nqiiddle  fize,  well  proporti- 
oned^ ftrong,  and  robuil ;  but  are  lefs 
volatile  and  aflive  than  fome  of  the  o- 
ther  Indian  tribes.  Their  complexion 
is  of  a  dark  copper  caft ;  their  hair 
black,  long,  and  ilraight ;  and  few  of 
the  men  have  natufally  any  beard,  and 
what  dl^y  hav€  they  carefully  extir- 
pate. ^ 

Their  peculia^r  features  are  very  low 
fbfehe^,  fm^U  eyes,  high  cheek  bones, 
Roman  nofes,  full  cheeks,  and  in  ge- 
neral long  broad  chins.  Their  Ikin  is 
fdft  a^  polifhed,  and  when  they  are 
clean  drefled^  they  are  quite  free  ffom 
any  offenfive  fmell.  They  mark  their, 
.efa^eks  with  three  or  foui*  parallel  black 
ftrokies„  whicit  is  performed  by  running 


If* 


i 


4 


lio  Hearne*s  Journey. 

ja  needle  under  the  (kin,  and  rubbing 
|>owdered  charcoal  into  the  wound. 

Morofe  and  covetous,  the  name  of 
gratitude  is  fcarcely  known  among 
them.  They  feem  to  take  a  pleafure' 
in  enumerating  their  wants,  even  where 
they  have  no  profpeft  of  having  them 
relieved;  and  frequently  laugh  at  the 
dupes  of  their  infincerity. 

Harfti,  uncourteous  ufage  leems  to 
agree  better  with  them  than  kindnefs ; 
for  if  the  leaft  refpefl:  be  fhewn  them, 
they  become  intolerably  infolent.  Yet 
as  in  all  countries  and  among  all  peo- 
ple, there  are  fome  who  are  capable  of 
eftimating  indulgence  without  trefpaff- 
ing  too  far.  < 

To  defraud  the  Europeans,  and  to 
ovferreach  them  in  trade,  are  their  plea- 
fure  and  ftudy.  They  difguife  their 
perfons,  change  their  names ;  in  fhort, 
any  thing  to  efcape  paying  their  lawful 
debts,  or  to  enable  them  to  contract 
iie^  ones. 

Notwithftanding  thofe  bad  qualities, 
they  are  one  of  the  mildeft  of  the  la- 


^g 


Hearne's  Journey.  iix 

dian  tribes,  the  mod:  fober,  and  the 
moft  pacific. 

Though  jealoufy  is  a  general  paffion 
among  the  men,  marriages  are  con^ 
trafted  without  ceremony,  and  fre-r 
quently  diffolved  with  as  little.  Young 
women  have  no  choice  of  their  own* 
Their  parents  match  them  to  the  man 
who  feems  beft  able  to  maintain  them,^ 
regardlefs  of  age,  perfon,  or  difpofiti- 
on. 

Girls  are  generally  betrothed,  when 
children,  to  men^grown  up.  Nor  is 
this  practice  deftitute  of  policy  ;  where 
the  very  exiftence  of  a  family  depends 
fometimes  on  the  induftry  and  abili«> 
ties  of  one  man.  In  cafe  of  a  father's 
death,  the  poor  female  children  would 
frequently  be  in  danger  of  ftarving, 
did  not  thofe  early  contrafts  taJke  ..^ 
place,  which  are  never  yiolated  on  the  ' 
part  of  the  man,  till  after  confumma- 
tion  at  leaft. 

•  From  the  age  of  eight  or  nine, 
girls  are  ftridlly  watched  and  clofely 
confined  ;  deprived  evea  of  innocent" 
and  cheerful  amufemients,  and  cooped 


SI: 

■I 

i 


k 


■i 


112  Hearne*s  Journey. 

up  by  the  (ide  of  old  women,  employ- 
ed in  domeflic  duties  of  every  kind. 
j^^3  the  condudk  of  *the  pstrcnttj  is  by 
no  means  confident  with  thefe  rigid 
reftraints.  They  fet  no  bounds  to  the 
freedom  of  their  converfation  before 
their  children. 

Divorces  are  pretty  common  for  in- 
continency,  bad  behaviour,  or  even 
,the  want  of  luch  accomplifhments  as 
the  fiufband  wiflies  to  find  in  a  wife.' 
This  ceremony  confifts  in  nothing  but 
a  good  drubbing,  and  turning  the  wo- 
man out  of  doors. 
j  Providence  has  mcrcifullv  denied 
the  woman  the  fame  fecundity  as  in 
more  genial  climes.  Few  produce  more 
^han  five  or  fix  children  ;  and  thefe  ge4 
;  nerally  at  long  intervals,  which  enables 
^^4  the  parents  to  bring:  them  up  with 
greater  facility,  than  if  they  had  feve- 
ral  very  young  children  to  take  care 
of  at  once. 

For  want  of  firing,  ratlier  than 
choice-,  thefe  poor  people  are  frequent- 
ly obliged  to^at  their  meat  rav^^  pfet- 
ticularlyin  the  fummerfeafoni  when  oil 


-f 


"?,■ 


Hearne's  Journey.  115 

The  tta£l  of  land  inhabited  by  the  north- 
ern Indiansi  reaches  from  latitude  59  to  69 
deg.  and  is  about  five  hundred  miles  iii 
width.  The  furfacc  is  frequently  covered 
Mi'itn  a  thin  fod  of  mofs  ;  but^  iln  general^ 
it  is  no  more  than  on«  folid  mafs  of  rocks 
and  (tones*  It  produces  fome  cranberries^ 
and  a  few  other  infignificant  (hrubs  and 
herbage;  and  in  the  i|iar(hes  are  found  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  grafs :  but  nature  has  been 
very  fparing  in  her  gifts  in  the  vegetable 
clafs. 

There  is  a  kind  of  mofs  of  a  black,  hard, 
crumply  appearance,  growing  on  the  rocks 
and  large  ftones,  which  is  of  infinite  fervice 
to  the  natives,  as  it  fometimes  furnifhes 
them  with  a  temporary  fubfiftence,  when 
no  other  food  is  to  be  procured.  When  boil- 
ed, it  turns  to  a  gummy  confiftence,  and  is 
neither  unpalateable  nor  unwholefome.  Fi(K 
and  deer,  ^pwcver,  conftitute  theit^  princi- 
pal fupport;  and  thefe  are  in  moft  places, 
fufficienily  abundant  at  the  proper  feafons. 

When  two  parties  of  thofe  Indians  meet, 
they  make  a  full  halt  within  a  few  yards  of 
each  other,  and^in  general,  fit  or  lie  down 
for  a  few  minutes.  At  length  one  of  them, 
commonly  breaks  filence,  and  when  he  has 
made  his  oration,  the  fpeaker  of  the -other 
party  begins  his  reply. 


'■  \. 


.  ,1 


1 


I\ 


ti6  Hearne's  Journey. 

They  have  few  diverfionsj  and  in  a  coun- 
try where  want  can  only  be  warded  off  by 
cbnftant  diligencci  it  is  not  to  be  expefied 
that  they  (hould  ftiine  in  elegant  amufements. 
Dancingi  ifowever,  is  not  unknown  among 
them ;  ana  this  exercile  the  men  always  per- 
form naked.  The  women,  unlefs  they  arc 
commanded  by  their  hufbands  or  fathersi 
never  (hare  in  it^  and  then  alway^  by  them* 
felves* 

A  fcorbutic  eruption,  confumptions,  and 
fluxes,  are  ttieir  chief  diforders.  The  firll, 
though  very  troublefomey  is  never  of  itfclf 
fatal  ;  but  the  two  latter  carry  off  great 
numbers  of  both  fexes  and  all  ages  Indeed, 
few  attain  to  IcJngevity,  probably  owing  to 
the  rigours  of  the  climate,  and  the  great 
fatigues  they  inceflantly  uildergo.  They  ne- 
ver bury  their  dead>  but  leave  them  to  be  de- 
voured by  the  birds  and  wild  beads. 

The  death,  however,  of  a  near  relation  af- 
fciSls  them  mod  fenfibly.  They  rend  their 
clothes,  cut  their  hair,  and  cry  almod  in- 
ceflantly for  a  great  length  of  time.  The 
periods  of  mourning  are  regulated  by  moons^ 
and  they  feem  to  fympathize  with  each  other 
on  t,heir  refpedtive  lofles,  as  if  poflfeflTed  of 
the  fineft  fenfibility  ;  yet  there  is  certainly 
much  of  habit  in  this,  and  the  emotions  of 
nature  have  only  a  partial  (hare,  either  in 
their  forrow  op  condolence. 


Hearne's  Journey.         .115 

the  barren  ground  *,  nor  do  they  ever  feel 
any  inconvenience  from  this.  Mr,  Hekiriie 
fays,  he  has  been  frequently  one  of  a  party, 
who  h^sfat  down  to  a  frefli-killed  deer,  arid 
aflided  in  picking  the  bones.cfkite  clean. 

Their  poverty  is  fo  gre^tj  that  not  many 
of  them  are  abK  to  purchafe  a  brafs  kettle ) 
fo  that  they  are  under  the  neceflity  of  conti- 
nuing*  their  original  mode  of  boiling  their 
victuals  in  large  upright  vefTels,  made  of 
birch  rind.  As  thefe  will  not  admit  of  being 
expofed  to  the  fire,  the  defe£t  is  fupplied  by 
red  hot  Hones,  put  into  the  water:  which 
fpeedily  occaGon  it  to  boil.  They  have  vari- 
ous diihes,  at  which  the  delicate  (lomach  of 
an  European  would  revolt.  ' 

Bows  and  arrows,  their  original  weapons, 
are  now  fuperfeded  by  the  ufe  of  fire-arms, 
except  among  the  very  jpoorefl,  or  when  they 
wifh  to  fave  ammunition.  Deer  are  frequent- 
ly killed  during  the  fummer  feafon  with  ar- 
rows ;  but  from  difufe,  the  Indians  ar0  not 
very  dextrous  in  the  management  of  .thofe 
weapons. 

Their  Hedges  are  of  various  fizes,  accord- 
ing to  the  ftrength  of  the  people  who  are  to 
haul  them.,  Some  are  not  lefs  than  twelve  or 
fourteen  feet  long^  and  fifteen  or  fixteen 
inches  wide ;  but,  in^  general,  their  dimen- 
(ions  are  much  lefs.  They  are  compofed  of 
/  K  2 


\ 


I 


.'* 


fV.- 


1.  'C 


114,         Hearite^s  Journey. 

bpardSi  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thicki  and  a- 
boul^five  or  (ix  inches  wide,  fewed  together 
with  thongs  of  parchment  deer  Ikin.  The 
Keadf  or  fore  part,  is  turned  up,  fa  as  to 
form  a  femicilcle  of  about  a  foot  and  a  half 
diameter.  This  prevents  the  fledge  from  div- 
ing into  light  fnoW|  and  enables  it  to  Aide 
over  the  inequalities  of' the  furface. 

The  trace,  or  draught  Hne^  is  a  double 
firing  made  faft  to  the  head }  and  the  bight 
13  put  acrofs  the  (houiders  of  the  hauler, 
fo  as  to  reft  againft  the  brea(l,  which  allows 
the  greateft  exertion  of  ftrength  with  the 
leaft  toil.  ^        /  ^ 

Their  fnow  flioes  are  fomewhat  different 
frop  the  generality  ufed  in  thofe  regions,  as 
they  mutt  always  be  worn  on  one  foot,  the 
inner  fide  of  the  frame  beipg  almoft  ftraight, 
and  the  outfide  having  a  large  fweep.  The 
frames  are  commonly  made  of  birch  wood, 
and  the  netting  is  compofed  of  thongs  of 
deer  ikin.  j  ,.    , 

Their  clothing  principally  confifts  of  deer 
flkin  in  the  hair,  which  fubjefts  them  to 
vermin;  but  this  is  far  from  being  confider» 
ed  as  a  difgrace  ;  and,  indeed  a  loufy  gar- 
ment forms,  in  their  eflimation,  ^  delicious 
repaft.  pifgufting  as  this  may  appear,  it  is 
perhaps,  no  mdxc  indelicate  than  an  Euro- 
pean epicure  feafting  on  the  mites  in  cheefe. 


Hearne's  Journey.  ny 

Religion,  as  a  rule  of  Jife,  has  not  fn 
begun  to  dawn  among  the  northern  Indiana* 
fuperftitipus  as  th^y  are.  Yet  thejr  think  s^nd 
fptak  rcfpeftfully  of  the  devbtion  ofotherfj- 
:uid  fome  of  them  are  not  unacquainted  with 
the  hiftory  of  the  great  Author  of  Chrifti- 
anity.  Matonabbct*,  who,  our  author  fays, 
was  one  of  ilie  befl  informed  and  fenfible 
men  he  ever  knew  among*  them,  gave  the 
following  account  of  his  countrymen.— 
"  Their  only  obje<Sl  is  to  confulc  their  inte- 
reft^  inclinations,  and  pafTions ;  and  to  pafs 
through  this  world  with  as  much  eafe  and 
contentment  ^s  poflible}  without  any  hopes 
of  reward,  or  painful  fear  of  puniihment  in 
the  next.'*  Thefe  are  the  fentiments  and  the 
objects  of  the  irreligious  in  all  countries, 
ho^ievermuch  policy  may  teach  themtodlf- 
guife  their  thoughts. 

When  the  aurora  borealis  is  very  brigli*, 
and  varying  much  in  form,  colour,  and  fitu- 
ation,  they  fay  their  deceafed  friends  are  ve." 
ry  merry  ;  but  the  immortality  of  the  foul  is 
by  no  means  a  general  belief  among  the 
northern  Indians ;  though  their  fouthern 
neighbours  have  certainly  feme  faint  ideas 
of  it.  Yet  they  are  very  fuperftitioiis  with 
refpeft  to  the  exiftence  of  federal  kinds  of 
furies,  whom  they  call  Naiit-c-fta,  and  whom 
they  preter\d  fomeiimes  to  fee.     Thcfc  are 


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Hearne*s  Jpurney. 

fl  'fti|i^ppfcd  16  inhabit  the  different  elements; 
^^;  atid  tp  ibmc  one  or  other  of  them,  every* 
^^^^^^  t^        in  their  qircumftances  i$  ufually  ai- 
^'"  "^cribcd. 


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